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An ESPN Commercial Hints at Advertising’s Deepfake Future An ESPN Commercial Hints at Advertising’s Deepfake Future
(about 1 month later)
Unable to film new commercials during the coronavirus pandemic, advertising agencies are turning to technologies that can seamlessly alter old footage, sometimes putting viewers in a position of doubting what they are seeing.Unable to film new commercials during the coronavirus pandemic, advertising agencies are turning to technologies that can seamlessly alter old footage, sometimes putting viewers in a position of doubting what they are seeing.
During Sunday’s episodes of “The Last Dance,” the ESPN documentary series about Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, State Farm ran a commercial featuring expertly doctored footage of the longtime “SportsCenter” anchor Kenny Mayne.During Sunday’s episodes of “The Last Dance,” the ESPN documentary series about Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, State Farm ran a commercial featuring expertly doctored footage of the longtime “SportsCenter” anchor Kenny Mayne.
In the ad, a much younger Mr. Mayne is seated at the “SportsCenter” desk in 1998. He reports on the Bulls’ sixth championship title — before taking a turn toward the prophetic.In the ad, a much younger Mr. Mayne is seated at the “SportsCenter” desk in 1998. He reports on the Bulls’ sixth championship title — before taking a turn toward the prophetic.
“This is the kind of stuff that ESPN will eventually make a documentary about,” Mr. Mayne says. “They’ll call it something like ‘The Last Dance.’ They’ll make it a 10-part series and release it in the year 2020. It’s going to be lit. You don’t even know what that means yet.” As a vintage State Farm logo appears in the background, he adds, “And this clip will be used to promote the documentary in a State Farm commercial.”“This is the kind of stuff that ESPN will eventually make a documentary about,” Mr. Mayne says. “They’ll call it something like ‘The Last Dance.’ They’ll make it a 10-part series and release it in the year 2020. It’s going to be lit. You don’t even know what that means yet.” As a vintage State Farm logo appears in the background, he adds, “And this clip will be used to promote the documentary in a State Farm commercial.”
The producers made the commercial by layering video of Mr. Mayne’s 60-year-old mouth onto footage of his 38-year-old face. To many viewers, the stunt provided a welcome moment of levity in depressing times. Others were made uneasy by the smoothness of the patch, describing it as a type of deepfake.The producers made the commercial by layering video of Mr. Mayne’s 60-year-old mouth onto footage of his 38-year-old face. To many viewers, the stunt provided a welcome moment of levity in depressing times. Others were made uneasy by the smoothness of the patch, describing it as a type of deepfake.
“We tried to make the joke clear enough so that we weren’t tricking anyone,” said Carrie Brzezinski-Hsu, the head of ESPN CreativeWorks, which created the commercial with the ad agencies Optimum Sports and Translation.“We tried to make the joke clear enough so that we weren’t tricking anyone,” said Carrie Brzezinski-Hsu, the head of ESPN CreativeWorks, which created the commercial with the ad agencies Optimum Sports and Translation.
Ms. Brzezinski-Hsu said manipulated footage was likely to appear in future ESPN ads. And executives at several major advertising agencies said they had discussed making similar commercials with their clients in recent weeks.Ms. Brzezinski-Hsu said manipulated footage was likely to appear in future ESPN ads. And executives at several major advertising agencies said they had discussed making similar commercials with their clients in recent weeks.
“We’re so restricted in how we can generate content,” said Kerry Hill, the production director for the ad agency FCB in North America. “Anything that can be computer generated is something we’re going to explore.”“We’re so restricted in how we can generate content,” said Kerry Hill, the production director for the ad agency FCB in North America. “Anything that can be computer generated is something we’re going to explore.”
Husani Oakley, the chief technology officer of the ad firm Deutsch, said digitally altered ads should somehow clue viewers into the fact that what they are seeing is not completely real.Husani Oakley, the chief technology officer of the ad firm Deutsch, said digitally altered ads should somehow clue viewers into the fact that what they are seeing is not completely real.
“The technology is here, and it’s only going to get better and better, and we have to get used to it,” he added. “We’re exploring ways to have fun with it.”“The technology is here, and it’s only going to get better and better, and we have to get used to it,” he added. “We’re exploring ways to have fun with it.”
The ad industry had started to show interest in digital manipulation before the pandemic. In 2018, the ad agency Wieden & Kennedy London collaborated with the artist Gillian Wearing on a deepfake film featuring people whose facial features were blended with Ms. Wearing’s.The ad industry had started to show interest in digital manipulation before the pandemic. In 2018, the ad agency Wieden & Kennedy London collaborated with the artist Gillian Wearing on a deepfake film featuring people whose facial features were blended with Ms. Wearing’s.
This year, the ad firm Goodby Silverstein & Partners worked on an app that allowed users to appear to be doing the dance moves pulled off by Lil Nas X in a Doritos commercial. Executives described the experience as turning “deepfake into dancefake.”This year, the ad firm Goodby Silverstein & Partners worked on an app that allowed users to appear to be doing the dance moves pulled off by Lil Nas X in a Doritos commercial. Executives described the experience as turning “deepfake into dancefake.”
As face-swapping and voice-generating technologies have become more refined and accessible, people on video calls have superimposed Elon Musk’s face over their own as they chat.As face-swapping and voice-generating technologies have become more refined and accessible, people on video calls have superimposed Elon Musk’s face over their own as they chat.
While the blurring of the real and the fake can be amusing on Zoom or in the promotion of snack foods, it presents thorny ethical issues around consent and disinformation. Pornographic deepfake videos, with real-seeming political figures and celebrities in central roles, have circulated on Reddit. A recent doctored video appeared to show Prime Minister Sophie Wilmès of Belgium linking the coronavirus pandemic to climate change. Ahead of the 2020 vote, Facebook and Twitter have said they are closely monitoring manipulated videos.While the blurring of the real and the fake can be amusing on Zoom or in the promotion of snack foods, it presents thorny ethical issues around consent and disinformation. Pornographic deepfake videos, with real-seeming political figures and celebrities in central roles, have circulated on Reddit. A recent doctored video appeared to show Prime Minister Sophie Wilmès of Belgium linking the coronavirus pandemic to climate change. Ahead of the 2020 vote, Facebook and Twitter have said they are closely monitoring manipulated videos.
On Monday, President Trump promoted a digitally altered commercial promoting his candidacy on his Twitter account. The video relied on doctored footage taken from an Allstate Insurance commercial featuring the company’s pitchman, the actor Dennis Haysbert.On Monday, President Trump promoted a digitally altered commercial promoting his candidacy on his Twitter account. The video relied on doctored footage taken from an Allstate Insurance commercial featuring the company’s pitchman, the actor Dennis Haysbert.
In place of Mr. Haysbert’s head, there is the head of former President Barack Obama. He is seated in a living room with a group of men watching a TV commercial for Joseph R. Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee. The commercial-within-the-commercial uses audio from a 2017 event during which Mr. Biden talked about having worked as a lifeguard at a swimming pool. “I loved kids jumping on my lap,” the candidate says, as Mr. Obama’s companions shoot him disapproving looks.In place of Mr. Haysbert’s head, there is the head of former President Barack Obama. He is seated in a living room with a group of men watching a TV commercial for Joseph R. Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee. The commercial-within-the-commercial uses audio from a 2017 event during which Mr. Biden talked about having worked as a lifeguard at a swimming pool. “I loved kids jumping on my lap,” the candidate says, as Mr. Obama’s companions shoot him disapproving looks.
Updated June 2, 2020
Mass protests against police brutality that have brought thousands of people onto the streets in cities across America are raising the specter of new coronavirus outbreaks, prompting political leaders, physicians and public health experts to warn that the crowds could cause a surge in cases. While many political leaders affirmed the right of protesters to express themselves, they urged the demonstrators to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, both to protect themselves and to prevent further community spread of the virus. Some infectious disease experts were reassured by the fact that the protests were held outdoors, saying the open air settings could mitigate the risk of transmission.
Exercise researchers and physicians have some blunt advice for those of us aiming to return to regular exercise now: Start slowly and then rev up your workouts, also slowly. American adults tended to be about 12 percent less active after the stay-at-home mandates began in March than they were in January. But there are steps you can take to ease your way back into regular exercise safely. First, “start at no more than 50 percent of the exercise you were doing before Covid,” says Dr. Monica Rho, the chief of musculoskeletal medicine at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. Thread in some preparatory squats, too, she advises. “When you haven’t been exercising, you lose muscle mass.” Expect some muscle twinges after these preliminary, post-lockdown sessions, especially a day or two later. But sudden or increasing pain during exercise is a clarion call to stop and return home.
States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people.
Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks.
Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days.
If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.)
More than 40 million people — the equivalent of 1 in 4 U.S. workers — have filed for unemployment benefits since the pandemic took hold. One in five who were working in February reported losing a job or being furloughed in March or the beginning of April, data from a Federal Reserve survey released on May 14 showed, and that pain was highly concentrated among low earners. Fully 39 percent of former workers living in a household earning $40,000 or less lost work, compared with 13 percent in those making more than $100,000, a Fed official said.
Taking one’s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “normal” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’t have a thermometer (they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications.
The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing.
If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others.
If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested.
The video, which has gotten more than 14 million views, ends with the Trump-Pence logo. It does not include Mr. Trump offering a statement approving the commercial. The Trump campaign and Allstate did not reply to requests for comment.The video, which has gotten more than 14 million views, ends with the Trump-Pence logo. It does not include Mr. Trump offering a statement approving the commercial. The Trump campaign and Allstate did not reply to requests for comment.
The grafting of Mr. Obama’s head onto Mr. Haysbert’s body was too crude to fool viewers, but as the ESPN-State Farm ad made clear, the tech is advanced enough to make many people doubt what they are seeing.The grafting of Mr. Obama’s head onto Mr. Haysbert’s body was too crude to fool viewers, but as the ESPN-State Farm ad made clear, the tech is advanced enough to make many people doubt what they are seeing.
Mr. Oakley, the chief technology officer at Deutsch, said that social media platforms might need to eventually develop algorithms to help viewers distinguish ads with real humans from those that have been digitally altered.Mr. Oakley, the chief technology officer at Deutsch, said that social media platforms might need to eventually develop algorithms to help viewers distinguish ads with real humans from those that have been digitally altered.
“We won’t be able to tell the difference,” he said. “We’ll have to rely on the machines to tell us that the videos were made by machines.”“We won’t be able to tell the difference,” he said. “We’ll have to rely on the machines to tell us that the videos were made by machines.”