Many are in upheaval about the use of AI model images in place of humans. Some raise the issue of beauty perfection, job displacements, and the entire future of the modeling industry. Someone’s quick casual question about this topic ensued a reflection on, indeed, how do we all cross this juncture of authenticity and technology?

I’m not as steeped in fashion as I am marinated in the creative industry, having been a communications strategist for some decades now, and still at it. As such, I deal with data, analytics, and patterns of thoughts and cultures.

I think that at the base of these outcries, a mirror is being held to our face. Welcome to the emergence, embedding, and professionalization of AI in the creative industry. Happening at breakneck speed, unimaginable to most of us ordinary mortals, it also wasn’t invented yesterday. It’s been simmering under our noses while a great majority of us are busy with social media. It’s been an underground superintelligence that was ripe to go overground, is what I would think of it.

A quick trip to a site called KARTEL (AI-powered productions) and others like it tells us that the commercial production landscape has been not-so-quietly changing all along. Big brands like Sephora, Snickers, All Saints, films needing historical reenactments, and many others have trodden the AI path. AI Generalists, AI Creative Developers, and AI Directors are nascent job titles as we’re simply scraching the surface of the AI-powered creative industry.

Humanity and technology have often been at odds with each other. Think HUMANITY on one end of the spectrum, TECHNOLOGY on the other. In the middle of these two is CREATIVITY. The creative industry, which encompasses advertising, visual arts, handcrafts, music, graphic design, filmmaking, production, and writing, to name a few.

HUMANITY is realness, values, emotions, and natural beauty. TECHNOLOGY is efficiency, expedience, and also an imagination of what’s possible beyond human capacity. Once the latter is set into motion, there’s no going back. We’ve seen this with the internet, robotics-assisted healthcare, and the logistics of everyday goods. The applications of expediency go on. Our daily lives are now measured by convenience, comforts, solutions, engagements, and attractions.

CREATIVITY has often been prone to technological developments for a few good reasons: creation takes time, equipment of the trade is expensive, experts’ man-hours are high-value, and the entire industry is naturally open to experimentation and innovation.

In that mirror AI holds up to us, we find a face in shock. And we say, how could a big brand, Guess in this case, and Vogue, a respected institution in publishing and lifestyle curation dare replace human models with AI-gen similars? The ethical debate will prove to be a garden path, one which I’ll leave, for now, to experts.

If there’s one single distillation of the juncture that humanity and technology face in this case, it is about BEAUTY STORYTELLING. Beauty that encompasses the physical, emotional, and even ideals of kindness, respect, dignity, and such.

On the aspect of physical beauty, the industry is now faced with real choices. Do you tell the beauty story at its most natural, unassisted and unenhanced way or polished and expedient with imaginative technology? We lose and gain something from each method. And there will be collateral damage on both ends.

When the creative industry turns itself more towards AI-assistance in its beauty storytelling, would we miss something? The naturalness, the slight imperfection, the flow, the evocation of feelings by the images we show. The notion that beauty isn’t perfection is what exactly makes it relatable. A purely AI-creation in visual arts or graphic design, for instance, can’t fully telegraph emotions. Tried looking at one lately?

As the creative industry faces more of these crossroad decisions between humanity and technology, it’ll be prudent to be aware of the new tools of the trade, ever-sharper, ever-imaginative, enough to decide ‘what we’re trading in place of what’.

For now, we’re all probably experiencing the ‘shock of the new’ as Robert Hughes had articulated in his 1980 documentary on the evolution of modern art. We’ll most likely get used to the new scenery. But as humans, our choice muscle may need to keep getting stronger as we go along.

This article is human-written.

—

Pris Santos is a Senior Strategy Collaborator at Design For Tomorrow, working closely with Creative + Strategy Director Ric Gindap and the team in crafting brand narratives, strategies, and resonating copies.

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We’re witnessing a high-stakes transformation. Brands that fail to evolve risk lagging in this dash for advancement. Clean energy isn’t the future; it’s the current reality. It’s competitive, clean, and, for non-competitive brands, unforgiving. Companies that don’t sharpen their identity and amplify their impact risk being left in the dark.

Innovate or Disappear: The Clean Energy Branding Battle

The past five years have been a battleground for renewable energy branding. Powerhouses are making billion-dollar moves—driving energy transition at an unprecedented scale. Our new reality is anchored on the premise that sustainability is the industry’s new baseline.

Even non-energy brands are adapting. For example, Nestlé shifted to 100% renewable power as part of its long-term strategy, and ENGIE has implemented significant transitions with smart cooling solutions. These examples underscore a seismic shift: the clean energy revolution is now mainstream, declaring a clear message—embrace change or risk irrelevance.

From Chaos to Clarity: Branding in the Energy Sector

Companies face critical choices as decarbonization, digital transformation, and decentralization reshape the power industry. A strong brand strategy is necessary for energy companies in this “evolve or vanish” game. Effective branding cuts through complexity, giving clean energy companies a competitive advantage. It builds trust with stakeholders, attracts investors, and transforms technical innovation into compelling narratives that drive global impact.

At Design For Tomorrow (DFT), we’ve helped power companies turn their brand identity into an advantageous asset. We’ve proven that timeless aesthetics and strategic storytelling craft influence, leadership, and continuing relevance in an ever-shifting power sector.

CASE STUDY: ACEN – From Power Player to Global Clean Energy Brand

In 2017, AC Energy (now ACEN) was on the brink of transformation, with a global expansion underway. AC Energy boldly ventured into multiplying acquisitions and a fearless push toward renewable energy solutions. The brand needed more than a refresh—it needed clarity, cohesion, and cultural alignment.

1. UNIFYING CULTURE & STRATEGY

With acquisitions across Southeast Asia, AC Energy faced a branding crossroads: How to unify multiple entities under one compelling sustainability brand? DFT worked with leadership to craft “The AC Energy Way”, a shared vision that aligned teams, streamlined messaging, and established a clear sustainability communication strategy.

2. BRAND ARCHITECTURE & POSITIONING

We developed a brand hierarchy that clarified the relationship between conventional and renewable power generation—ensuring a strategic, investor-friendly structure.

3. VISUAL IDENTITY & ESG INTEGRATION

While the AC Energy logo remained untouched, we expanded the brand’s identity system—introducing bold typography, color palettes, and dynamic visuals inspired by geothermal, solar, wind, and thermal energy.

4. BRAND IMMERSION & ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN

We integrated sustainability branding principles into physical spaces—partnering with interior designers to create wayfinding graphics, digital displays, and corporate storytelling installations that reinforced AC Energy’s mission at every touchpoint.

5. A BOLD, UNIFIED BRAND

Our work resulted in a future-proof, investor-ready energy brand that propelled AC Energy’s rise as a global renewable leader, securing strategic partnerships and investment growth.

Branding Solar, Smart Grids, and Sustainable Transport

Design For Tomorrow channeled learnings with AC Energy into more energy, power, and sustainability projects that transform the direction of brands and their underpinning sustainable goals. Since delivering ACEN’s transformation, we’ve partnered with solar providers, energy tech startups, and smart infrastructure firms to build brands that reflect their mission and market leadership.

Bulacansol Solar Energy

Built a solar energy brand that champions sustainability and community impact, positioning Bulacansol as a leader in clean power solutions.

SHIN CLARK

Developed a sustainability-focused brand for a Filipino-Japanese energy partnership, uniting two cultures through a shared vision of innovation and reliability.

MPOWER

Crafted a bold energy rebrand for one of the Philippines’ leading power providers, positioning it for national expansion.

Vantage Energy

Transformed a renewable energy consulting firm into a top-tier energy solutions provider with a strategic brand refresh.

MOVEM

Launched a sustainable transport brand, redefining mobility through clean energy innovations.

Each of these brands now lead the conversation in energy transition, ESG impact, and sustainability innovation, proving that branding is an essential tool for articulating visions and manifesting ways to lead the future.

The Bottom Line: Why Branding Matters in Energy & Sustainability

Given the urgency of the energy transition, today’s clean energy landscape is more competitive than ever. Companies must do more to innovate, inspire, engage, and lead.

As one of the top branding agencies for renewable energy companies, DFT crafts strategic, investor-ready brands that compete and, in some instances, dominate.

Want to lead the clean energy revolution?

Message us and let’s build a brand that fuels impact, investment, and industry leadership.

Kickstart a potential branding collaboration today. The future of energy won’t wait.

The post ENERGY: GAME ON – Branding the Future of Power, Sustainability & Renewable Energy appeared first on Design For Tomorrow.

Having experienced hundreds of branding, strategy, and design collaborations with successful entrepreneurs and CEOs at varying scales, international locations—from Singapore to South Africa, Tokyo to Tel Aviv, Bangkok to Berlin, we at Design For Tomorrow have had a handful of learnings harvested along the way.

Hopefully, you, dear reader, will consider this a love letter for our reciprocal sanity.

01. PRO FOR PRO

Transcending the transactional emotionlessness of “quid pro quo,” what creative partners appreciate foremost in a client is genuine professionalism. So please be reminded that your time is as valuable as your consultants’ time. Give context behind your decisions or state clear directions so there won’t be any unnecessary back and forth because of a missing detail. The Japanese are admirable when they consider punctuality sacred: you rob someone of a precious commodity that cannot be recouped—time.

02. FAITH HAS ITS REWARDS

Someone (whose name escapes us now) much wiser once put it this way: “I know my body, I know it very well, and I know where the pains are, but I will never dare try to operate on myself. I’ll trust the expertise of the doctor.”

Ditto for your brand. Once you, dear successful entrepreneur, bestow a consultant a degree of trust, the sincerity of that trust will never be wasted. Dedicated consultants will do everything in their power to make you succeed out of recognition of their expertise, talent, and skills. And beyond that, they will demonstrate what’s possible and come back with the best creative work as a sense of responsibility for that faith. We have collaborated with numerous clients who have trusted us in navigating the direction of their brand, and it was an enjoyable experience to be able to have free rein to show our expertise in its full potential.

This was all made possible because we made an effort to gain their trust. Setting clear expectations while laying down our meticulous process from a branding, strategy, and design perspective while giving room to explore beyond said expectation made for a willing and exciting collaboration from both ends. One such serendipitous example is a client’s chance visit to La Picara, a restaurant we branded in the Philippines that led to her collaborating with us for her beauty brand in Singapore.

03. RESPECT BEGETS THE SAME

“THIS is a multibillion peso company!” A founder/CEO thundered to us during a meeting. “And YOU are telling ME how to run this business?! HOW MUCH money do YOU have in your account?!”

Our team didn’t blink. I calmly replied: “Of course, you are entitled to do as you please—it IS your company. What have we got to lose? Probably an hour and gas money going on here in this meeting. But if you consider our proposal, you have everything to gain: we will commit to helping you. Look, you are besieged by fierce competitors and need all the help you can get. Besides, design is our ball game, not yours.”

This successful entrepreneur, Mr. CEO, not only became a client but became our friend. Moral of the story: respectfully seek, dear successful entrepreneur, and you will be willingly helped.

04. MORE THAN MONEY, MUTUALISM

“We looked at your portfolio,” a top corporate honcho preambles as he slides into his seat. “You must be very expensive. We have a very small budget. Emphasis. In. VERY.” Then he lets out a hearty chuckle for his cleverness.

Before going to the meeting, we checked their published annual report with a multi-billion net profit and a firm position in the top 500 corporations in the country. 

In contrast, we are a small, thriving, independent studio.

On the other side of the world, a few years ago, we fell in love with a client: a CEO of a Filipino family-led steel company. When we submitted a cost proposal, she glanced at the total figure and said: “I learned this from my father. Do not devalue your partners and drive a hard bargain. They need to thrive and succeed so they can help you better. If you succeed, we succeed.”

From that moment on, we had to calibrate our cost proposal carefully for every project with her companies to ensure we charged reasonably and proportionally to the complexities of each project.

She embodies mutualism, and we want her to be a patron saint of C-Suites everywhere.

05. MICROSCOPES ARE FOR MICROBES

Micromanagement, generally, is the saboteur of creativity and innovation. It betrays your culture, lack of confidence, immunity to groundbreaking ideas, and a colossal dampener of enthusiasm and visionary imagination. Perhaps the best example is when a brand adopts the philosophy and means of a Nanny State that infantilizes its constituents.

We all understand the stakes, and failure is not our desired outcome. But we must also recognize that we all have roles with attendant expertise, skillset, and talents. (see #2)

When faced with intelligent and creative partners, exhaling and unclenching is an option.

Successful entrepreneurs see the world as their playground. Freedom is a hotbed of excellent work. If you don’t believe it, try it!

06. RUSH JOB ≠ PROUD ACHIEVEMENT.

“We wanted it yesterday!”  is one of our favorite icebreakers when a potential client responds to the question: When is this needed?

This response begs the following question: isn’t rushing a clue for either lack of foresight, clear directions, or mishandling of priorities? Of course, many consultants will take on the limited-time challenge for a higher fee. Expect also compromises on the work.

Terrific clients and CEOs have mastered the art of planning and time management. They are cognizant of the reality that excellent work takes time to reach its optimal potential. Creative consultants love them and commit to uncompromised work.

A reasonable time is a valuable tool for pragmatic people. (see #1)

07. WHEN CREDIT IS GREAT

Nothing fosters gratitude more than recognition of a job well done. It cements relationships and reinforces partnerships. Clients often bask in excellent work achievements and conveniently obscure the collaborations that realize them.

Acknowledgment is a fantastic fuel for creative consultants. Publicly recognizing their contributions engenders devotion and loyalty; successful entrepreneurs know this feeling too well.

“Please!” A potential client once asked. “Do not tell people you are collaborating with me!”

Baffled, we replied: “Oh! Why does that matter?”

“Because if my biggest competitors know you are helping me, they will knock on your door, offer you much more money, and you might leave me!”

For once, we didn’t have a snappy response.

We want to hear from you about your project

Writer Ric Gindap
Date Published February 17, 2023

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