The multinational cybersecurity brand Bitdefender launches a new B2C campaign in the US anchored by this unnerving film from 20(SOMETHING) and Territory Studio that leverages AI into a creative weapon against scammers.

Dorian Thomas, ECD at Territory Studio: “AI is not just the subject of our story, it is the story. The campaign’s conceit relies on the realism and emotional plausibility of AI-generated likenesses. By presenting these manipulated personas with authentic depth, we mirror how real-world scams deceive victims.

“Moving this concept into production, we employed a bespoke workflow using a range of AI’s to cast and intricately direct a number of hyper-realistic AI-generated characters.
 

“The outcome is both a testament to technological progress and a clear warning that the tools that can enrich our digital future can also erode its very foundation.”

 
“The pace, pitch, and projection of the line delivery; hesitation markers and lexical fillers; body language and micro-expressions were all were interpreted for prompts to output genuinely compelling performances.

Will Thacker, CD at 20(SOMETHING): “This was never about fear-mongering. It was about emotional truth and showing how something so human, like trust, is being hijacked by technology – and it’s cold, fast, and convincing.

“The outcome is both a testament to technological progress and a clear warning that the tools that can enrich our digital future can also erode its very foundation if left unchecked. By pulling back the curtain, we aim to spark an urgent conversation about safeguards, literacy, and the shared responsibility to protect digital trust in the age of synthetic media.”
 
 

 
Client: Bitdefender

Agency: 20(SOMETHING)
Lucinda Gosling – Strategy Partner
Bronwyn Schurr – Account Director
Anisha Obeng – Client Partner
Will Thacker – Creative Partner
Lola Delafuente – Creative Lead
Theo Ahimana – Creative
James Mackay – Creative
Rory Stiff – Design
Phoebe Leadbeater – Design
Andrew Barnard – Managing Partner

Production: Territory Studio
Dorian Thomas – Executive Creative Director
Miranda Silverman – Creative Technologist
Casey Leigh – Producer
Motion and VFX artist – Sam Ball

Sound Design
Bloblab Sound – Luke O’Brien