Lisa's 'Amazing Thailand' campaign gets scrutinised as perfect images breed AI suspicion

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has denied using artificial intelligence (AI) in its latest campaign featuring Thai pop star and BLACKPINK member Lalisa “Lisa” Manobal. The image, released under TAT’s “Amazing Thailand” banner, shows Lisa sitting in a wooden boat, gazing into the camera as she drifts along the Red Lotus Sea in Udon Thani province.

The poster quickly became a topic of debate online, with some questioning whether the image had been digitally manipulated beyond traditional post-production. Memes, mockups and comments questioning its authenticity flooded social media, highlighting a growing audience sensitivity to hyper-polished visuals. These discussions, according to media intelligence firm CARMA, generated temporary scrutiny, with only 14.6% positive and 0.3% negative sentiments surrounding the campaign. 

In a statement seen by MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, TAT clarified that the image was not AI-generated, though it was enhanced for aesthetic purposes. The campaign, it said, was created by a professional design team in close collaboration with the artist’s management, with the goal of “best showcasing the beauty of Thai tourist destinations.” TAT also thanked fans for their feedback, noting that suggestions would inform future campaigns to foster a “more positive image for artists and Thailand.”

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The ensuing AI debate highlights a growing trust gap around generative technology. According to a Forrester consumer insights report, 24% of online adults in Singapore consider AI a serious societal threat, with deepfakes cited as a top concern. In Australia, trust in AI varies by gender, with only 50% of women expressing confidence compared with 70% of men. Meanwhile, markets including the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia have restricted AI chatbot Grok amid fears of deepfake content.

This skepticism is also felt within the creative industry, where professionals are divided on whether hyper-polished visuals now carry more risk than reward in the post-AI era, and how much “authenticity” audiences expect versus aspirational perfection.

When “too perfect” becomes a risk

Carlos Mori Rodriguez, chief innovation officer at EON Group, said audiences are now conditioned to view perfection with suspicion. "For decades, high production value signaled effort and legitimacy. Now, it signals potential manipulation," he said. "The accusations aren't really about the technology. They're shorthand for a deeper concern: 'I no longer trust institutional imagery at face value.'" 

This skepticism is growing in younger audiences who increasingly reject traditional, overly polished communications, and instead focus on the underlying values a brand represents, added Ivan Yeow, managing partner at Bacon Creatives. To resonate with them and earn their trust, authenticity has never been more crucial in the age of AI.  This is especially since what once required hours of digital imaging work can now be achieved with a single prompt.

In this example, the unusually pink skies and the improbability of Lisa being surrounded by a sea of lotuses lent weight to audiences claiming the work was AI generated. "Ironically it was these perceived imperfections that drew criticism because audience felt "this doesn't look real", said Yeow adding that: 

When “too perfect” becomes commonplace, perhaps the concern is less about aesthetics and more about how easy perfection has become.

Guo-You Chew, APAC managing director, Tommy said Gen Z audiences increasingly want to see themselves reflected in the brands they follow. Relatable content, he argues, is more important for this target audience. "Audiences are getting increasingly wary of synthetic content, adopting a 'guilty until proven human' mindset, said Chew. "It reflects a growing desire for transparency and the preservation of authentic human craft in creative." 

Tourism marketing is particularly vulnerable because it depends on emotional credibility and the promise that a place is real, knowable and worth experiencing. When that promise feels engineered, even unintentionally, audiences pull back, explained Rodriguez. 

Ambition versus authenticity 

This shift in audience expectation has changed how creative teams approach visual perfection. Yeow has observed brands on TikTok favouring the "common person on the street", often jumping on current trends. Production houses have also evolved to shift towards social-first video content rather than traditional TVC-level finishes. 

Similarly, Rodriguez noted that some brands are experimenting with lo-fi aesthetics and behind-the-scenes content to signal human effort. However, he cautions against treating it as a simple formula, emphasising that dialing down isn't the same as building trust: 

If audiences sense that the imperfection itself is calculated, you've just replaced one form of artifice with another. Audiences aren't fooled by aesthetic choices alone. They're looking for evidence of human judgment and human stakes.

Hasbidin Hassan, managing partner and founder, HYP Global, warned against overcorrecting out of fear. "Advertising has always shown the best version of reality. Long before AI, we had retouching, CGI, and heavy art direction. Polish isn’t the enemy. If brands start deliberately making work look worse just to feel 'real', we lose craft, taste, and intention."

The question then remains: How can creative teams protect trust without compromising ambition?

Both Chew and Rodriguez recommended transparency as a guiding principle by showing audiences that choices were made, not generated. This includes documenting the human effort and the talent behind the scenes. 

For Hasbidin, the guiding principle is intent:

People don’t distrust good execution; they distrust confusion and dishonesty. Tools will keep changing, but when work is well-considered, culturally aware, and made with purpose, it still reads as real. And that’s what builds trust.

The debate around TAT’s Lisa poster illustrates a broader reality for brands operating in a post-AI visual culture where audiences are no longer just evaluating what is shown but are scrutinising how it was created and whether human effort is visible. In a world saturated with AI content, hyper-polished imagery can trigger skepticism unless it is paired with transparent storytelling, visible human effort, and a clear creative purpose.

In all, the tourism campaign with Lisa may have sparked controversy, but it also offers a global lesson: in the age of generative AI, credibility is crafted behind the scenes as much as on screen. 

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