Marketing teams have long struggled with a basic problem. AI is starting to change how campaign production works. Campaigns need to be tailored for different markets, but the work required to adapt creative assets often slows everything down. Each variation – whether for language, culture, or platform – adds time and cost.
Brands are starting to bring automation into the creative process. Airlines are among those testing how far this approach can go, as they manage campaigns across multiple regions at once.
Malaysia Airlines is one example. According to MARKETECH APAC, the airline appointed Kingdom Digital as its creative automation agency after a retainer pitch, formalising a partnership that began with project-based work in July 2024. The aim is to reduce manual work and speed up campaign adaptation across markets.
Moving away from manual workflows
Campaign production has traditionally relied on teams creating multiple versions of the same asset. A single campaign may require dozens of edits for various regions, formats, and audience segments.
Automation changes that. Instead of creating each version from zero, systems can generate variations using templates and data inputs. MARKETECH APAC reports that Kingdom Digital’s Digital Creative Automation model can lower production turnaround times by up to 80% while maintaining human oversight through a “human-in-the-loop” approach.
The setup combines automation with human review, allowing teams to update messaging, pricing, and formats across channels while keeping creative control. This can help reduce delays when campaigns need to be updated quickly.
Localisation at scale
Messaging that works in one market may not translate well in another. This applies not only to language, but also to visuals, tone, and cultural context.
Automation helps address this by allowing teams to create more variations without increasing workload at the same rate. It also makes it easier to maintain consistency across markets while adapting content where needed.
Airlines face this more directly. Routes, promotions, and travel behaviour differ across regions. A campaign aimed at domestic travellers will look different from one targeting international passengers. According to the report, Malaysia Airlines’ partnership with Kingdom Digital covers campaigns across more than 20 countries, including the production of multi-language creative assets across static, HTML5, and video formats.
How AI is moving into campaign operations
AI in marketing is not new, but its role is shifting from testing toward day-to-day operations.
The Malaysia Airlines partnership shows how automation is moving into the production workflow rather than being treated as an add-on. Instead of being used only for optimisation, it is becoming part of how campaigns are built and updated.
The report says automation is intended to free up time for marketing teams to focus more on campaign planning and brand work, rather than repetitive production tasks.
At the same time, automation does not remove the need for human input. Teams still need to define the core message, set guidelines, and review outputs. This is where the “human-in-the-loop” model plays a role.
Connecting systems and data
As automation expands, it is becoming more closely tied to how marketing systems work. Data flows between systems to shape how content is created and delivered. This can affect both who sees an ad and what version they see.
Airlines are well positioned for this shift because they already collect large amounts of customer data through bookings, loyalty programmes, and digital interactions. These data points can support more targeted campaign variations when linked to creative systems.
AI in campaign execution
The move towards AI-driven campaign production is still developing, but it points to a change in how marketing is done. Instead of building a small number of assets, teams may focus on creating systems that generate many variations.
This does not mean that all campaigns will become automated. High-profile brand campaigns will still require custom work. But for ongoing digital marketing, automation is likely to play a larger role.
For now, brands like Malaysia Airlines are testing how to balance speed and control. The aim is not to replace creative teams, but to support them with tools that handle repetitive work.
As Ryan Ong, CEO of Kingdom Digital, said in the MARKETECH APAC report: “At Kingdom Digital, we believe technology should empower people, not replace them. This partnership with Malaysia Airlines allows us to solve real business operational challenges while unlocking new creative potential.”
(Photo by Peaky_82)
See also: DMWF Spotlight: Did you know that 88% of marketers now use AI
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