OAKVILLE, Ontario—The Weather Network in Canada has launched its first ad campaign using an AI-Assisted Avatar of Rachel Schoutsen who is a content creator and presenter on the channel.
The campaign is part of a larger effort by the Pelmorex Corp., which owns the channel, to expand its use of AI to deliver weather and climate information.
Using advanced AI technologies and AI-assisted avatars, The Weather Network is now delivering hyper-local forecasts on a larger scale. It also recently launched “Your Weather Assistant”, a generative AI tool, the company said.
For its first AI-ad campaign, the Weather Network partnered with Home Hardware Stores Limited. The campaign showcases storefront and local store callouts that are designed to drive traffic to Home Hardware locations across Ontario as Rachel's AI-Assisted Avatar covers an Ontario summer forecast.
"This partnership puts Home Hardware front and center when Canadians are engaging with weather content and planning for the summer ahead," said Simon Jennings, CRO, The Weather Network. "Canadians want to know what to expect as they plan their busiest social days and holidays and can purchase the right products for the weather forecast in their area."
"Home Hardware is a business built on serving small communities across the country and we are proud to support The Weather Network's innovative efforts to do the same through AI technology," said Laura Baker, chief marketing officer, Home Hardware Stores Limited. "Our more than 1,000 stores and the Dealers who operate them make it their mission to provide comprehensive support for all our customers' home improvement needs within their communities. That means helping Canadians complete and enjoy their outdoor home improvement and yard maintenance projects while also preparing for any inclement weather events."
In announcing the effort, The Weather Network stressed that it is committed to ensuring the use of avatars in its promotional materials aligns with the highest ethical standards. All promotional materials have a clear disclaimer to ensure its viewers are well informed of AI-created content. In addition, employee avatars are used with their consent and an agreement to participate.
"We are excited about this latest innovation and the opportunities it will provide to our consumers and businesses," said Maureen Rogers, managing director editorial & public alerting, The Weather Network. "As with any new product we launch, we value their input and will use it to continuously improve the product to meet their needs and deliver products that exceed their expectations. We are delighted to have partnered with Home Hardware on piloting this new product with us."
