Adrian J Cotterill, Editor-in-Chief
Cognitiv, a leading advanced performance partner powered by deep learning, this week launched a multi-platform brand campaign, Meet Edna, announced at Advertising Week New York.
Justine Frostad, SVP of Marketing at Cognitiv told us “Marketing has always been about understanding people, and people are full of surprises. With Meet Edna, we’re highlighting how deep learning uncovers the hidden traits and unexpected passions that traditional targeting can miss. Great marketers already excel at knowing their customers, but consumer behavior, especially purchase choice and timing, is complicated. This campaign shows how AI can amplify that intuition, giving them new ways to build on what they do best and connect with audiences in smarter, more impactful ways.”
Meet Edna was created to reflect how deep learning helps brands reach both tried and true, and untapped, overlooked audiences enabling more precise ad targeting and greater outcomes at scale. The campaign leverages Cognitiv’s deep understanding of users and context to showcase the possibilities of human+AI driven campaigns on one of the advertising industry’s biggest stages.
Every marketer knows an audience is more than a demographic. People are complex, full of contradictions and unexpected traits, these are the hidden layers that most platforms fail to reveal. The big data power of Cognitiv’s deep learning uncovers them and targets them, with full insights into known and new personas that are attracted to a marketer’s brand.
Each ad introduces a distinct character with familiar descriptors then the reveal flips expectations. When the character appears fully defined, the ad takes an unexpected turn, challenging assumptions and reframing how audience targeting can be perceived. Take Edna for example, the ad explains that she is “landlocked,” “afraid of sharks,” and “hates swimming,” then unveiling a fun twist that Edna loves cruises. This element of surprise highlights Cognitiv’s power to uncover what other partners cannot see: the nuanced, hidden drivers of consumer behavior. Ultimately, it emphasizes for marketers that discovering and embracing the rich dimensions of untapped customers can unlock some of their most valuable incremental growth drivers. To bring the campaign to life, Cognitiv and its creative agency, Manual Labor, tapped into AI to create the personas and creative imagery, echoing Cognitiv’s recently launched AI personas product.
“Cognitiv’s Meet Edna campaign showcases the creative potential when AI and human expertise work in true partnership,” said Samantha Choi, Chief Creative Officer at Manual Labor Studio. “AI does not replace the strategic thinking and design instincts that drive great creative, it amplifies them. For Meet Edna, we used AI – with the intention not to replace traditional photography – to generate personas that allowed us to push the possibilities of visual style and answer who they could be. Working with Cognitiv was particularly meaningful because we are not just talking about AI, we are demonstrating it. This shows marketers what is possible when you embrace AI as a collaborative tool, to not just accelerate creativity but to amplify your strategic and human touch, which is exactly what the industry needs to see at Advertising Week.”
The Meet Edna campaign will run in various formats. Digital out-of-home placements will run in contextually relevant locations in and around the event. To further extend reach, Cognitiv will also run connected TV (CTV) pause ads designed to drive awareness and consideration.
The campaign will run from October 6 through the first half of 2026.
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