IBM has unveiled its most ambitious AI-focused brand campaign in company history, “Let’s create smarter business,” featuring seven-time Formula 1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton as narrator to address the critical gap between AI experimentation and real business value creation. The campaign, developed with Ogilvy and launching during the US Open, represents IBM’s strategic positioning as the enterprise AI partner capable of transforming entire organizations rather than just individual productivity tools.
The timing reflects urgent market realities: 73% of companies spend over $1 million annually on AI initiatives, yet 32% of C-suite executives report no significant revenue impact from their investments. This widening disconnect between AI spending and business results has created what IBM identifies as the “AI adoption gap”—the challenge of moving from promising pilot projects to enterprise-wide transformation that delivers measurable value.
Strategic Focus on Enterprise AI Transformation
IBM’s campaign distinguishes itself by targeting comprehensive business intelligence rather than consumer-facing AI applications that dominate current market discourse. While competitors focus on individual user productivity or consumer AI experiences, IBM emphasizes using technology to make entire business ecosystems smarter through integrated AI solutions across critical operations.
The company is implementing its own transformation strategy, embedding intelligence throughout IBM’s internal operations from HR and IT support to sales and procurement. This comprehensive approach has positioned IBM to deliver $4.5 billion in productivity gains by the end of 2025, providing concrete evidence of AI’s enterprise value when properly implemented across organizational systems.
Hamilton Partnership Amplifies Brand Message
Lewis Hamilton’s involvement extends beyond celebrity endorsement to strategic partnership, with IBM serving as Official Fan Engagement and Data Analytics Partner for Scuderia Ferrari HP. This collaboration demonstrates IBM’s AI and data capabilities in high-performance environments, with the recently launched Ferrari mobile app showcasing how AI enhances fan experiences through real-time data integration and personalized content delivery.
The partnership provides tangible examples of IBM’s enterprise AI applications, from optimizing race performance through data analytics to creating personalized fan experiences that mirror the customer engagement solutions IBM provides across industries. This real-world demonstration strategy helps business leaders visualize how AI can transform their own operations beyond theoretical possibilities.
Addressing AI Skepticism and Implementation Challenges
The campaign directly acknowledges the skepticism and pressure business leaders face around AI adoption, positioning IBM as the partner that can navigate complexity and deliver genuine business outcomes. Jonathan Adashek, IBM’s Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications, emphasizes that the campaign represents a business philosophy rather than traditional marketing, focusing on equipping leaders with tools and insights needed to bridge the AI adoption gap.
The “Let’s create smarter business” platform evolves IBM’s 2022 “Let’s create” campaign while reintroducing iconic brand elements like the blue bars, signaling both continuity and advancement in IBM’s brand identity. The campaign will run throughout 2025 across broadcast, digital out-of-home, print, web, social media, and digital video platforms, ensuring comprehensive market reach for IBM’s enterprise AI message.
IBM’s strategic focus on enterprise-wide AI transformation positions the company to capture the growing demand for comprehensive business intelligence solutions as organizations move beyond experimentation toward systematic AI implementation that delivers measurable competitive advantage.
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