Brands are getting more comfortable shooting content with phones, mimicking the social media vibe to connect with users. But does phone-shot content really scream "authentic" to audiences anymore? And what happens when everything starts looking the same?
Back in the TV ad era, brands made slick, 30-second spots telling us why they were the best. They all had that corporate vibe, and everyone knew the deal.
But with each new social media platform, this dynamic has changed. Now, brands act more like people—using friendly language, sharing memes, and even roasting competitors. This shift lets brands tap into culture directly, while consumers also present themselves as brands. Authenticity is now key to staying relevant.
And it works. Influencers and user-generated content are huge because they let brands share their messages in a genuine way, using third parties to keep a bit of distance. Just scroll through social media, and you’ll see ads with that influencer touch. Brands like Apple know that people are more likely to engage with photos tagged #ShotOnAniPhone than with polished, brand-created images.
As a result, phone-shot content from brands is becoming the norm. It’s quick, cheap, and reflects the social media aesthetic that users love. This look has become synonymous with authenticity and engagement.
But does phone-shot content still come across as truthful? And what happens when all content starts to look the same? How do you stand out instead of blending in?
This is where production values still matter. It’s not just about looking good or bad, but about the details—lens choice, camera movement, lighting, performance, sound, editing, and so on. If we don’t focus on these, we end up with a flood of content that all looks and feels the same.
Phone cameras have their own visual language. They’re no longer low-fi—often matching the quality of some prosumer cameras. They come with built-in color balances and aspect ratios and limited controls. The main difference is the personal touch; you sense someone behind the camera, unlike with high-end gear. If that fits the creative vision, great. If not, other options might be better, even on a budget.
If agencies aren’t addressing these production values during the planning stages, they need to make sure it happens during the process, with input from their production teams.
There’s a concern that this approach might seem less natural on social media, making people skip past it like TV ads. While there’s some truth to this, we’re heading toward a point where budget constraints and uniform aesthetics will lead to a backlash. Audiences will tire of brand personification.
Brands on social media don’t need to be our friends. They just need to be more entertaining than the next post in the feed.
This aligns with platform advice. TikTok, for example, says to make TikToks, not ads, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be visually striking or unique. To capture attention, brands need to prioritize the impact on the audience over the lowest production cost.
The concept of branded entertainment has struggled, but now might be the time for brands to engage in more creative, inexpensive ways with less risk and more reward. It’s tricky to get right, and low-quality content will still fail, but agencies need to help brands improve.
Recent trends like faux out-of-home (FOOH) ideas worked because they were simple and fun, mixing phone camera aesthetics with CGI. But as these ideas get old, it’s time to find the next big thing.
Things move fast, and tastes change quickly. In this post-authenticity era, brands need to focus on standing out rather than blending in to avoid getting lost in the noise.
