AI FOOH vs CGI FOOH: What's the Difference and When to Use Each

AI FOOH is the AI-made form of FOOH, the social video that places a giant product or scene into city footage where it doesn't really exist. The difference from CGI FOOH lies in how it's produced: in CGI FOOH, the location is actually filmed and the CGI element is placed into the footage to match the camera move, light and shadows; AI FOOH is produced with AI on the desktop or on top of existing footage, depending on the brief. The real question isn't which one is better, but which one fits your brief.

We explain what FOOH is and why it spreads in what is FOOH and why it goes viral. For the service itself, formats and FAQs, see our FOOH ad production page. This piece puts the two production routes side by side: how each is made, where they differ and which brief suits which.

How is CGI FOOH made?

CGI FOOH is built on real location footage: on most of our projects, our own team films the location, and the giant product or object is modelled in 3D and placed into that footage. How believable the illusion is depends on how seamlessly the digital element blends with the real scene. A typical workflow runs like this:

1. Idea and location: Pick a place viewers will recognise in the first frame, and one thing that shouldn't be there.
2. Plate shoot: The location is filmed so that CGI can be added on top, from the right angle and at the right time of day for the light.
3. Camera tracking: The camera move in the shot is rebuilt digitally, so the object stays locked to the scene as the camera moves.
4. Modelling and light matching: The product is modelled, its materials are built, and it is lit to match the scene's light, shadows and reflections.
5. Compositing and edit: People, vehicles and atmosphere passing in front are layered back in, and vertical and, if needed, horizontal versions are prepared.

Because there is a shoot, location and permits are part of planning: when permits are needed, we obtain them, or on some projects the brand does. We walk through a FOOH shoot in Istanbul, from location to delivery, in FOOH production in Istanbul.

How is AI FOOH made?

In AI FOOH, the scene or the giant element is created with AI tools. Depending on the brief, there are two routes: the scene is built entirely with AI on the desktop, or a new element is added with AI on top of existing footage. Either way, most of the work happens in rounds of generation, selection and fine-tuning: the direction is explored quickly, the right option for the brand is picked from many variations, and the result is brought up to brand standards through colour, editing and, where needed, CGI.

The AI-powered FOOH film we made for Promake is a good example: AI tools sat at the centre of production from concept to final frame, and the result was a 9:16 street-scale video designed to be shared across digital channels. If existing footage is used, the rights to that footage need to be clear from the start.

What's the difference between AI FOOH and CGI FOOH?

In short, CGI FOOH gives you control and product accuracy, while AI FOOH gives you speed and flexibility. The table compares the two routes on the criteria that matter for a brief.

To see how one theme turns out with two methods, read one theme, two methods, where we compare the two boat-themed films we made for Suwen in CGI and in AI.

Which brief suits which?

The brief decides, not the method. Whichever list below describes your project better is your starting point.

Choose CGI FOOH if:

• The product's label, logo and shape must look exactly right, for example when the product itself is the star of a launch.
• The idea depends on a specific real location, and its texture, light and crowds are part of the illusion.
• You want full control over the camera move, the light and the position of every object.
• The film will later be updated for a packaging or colour change; in CGI that is a material update, not a reshoot.

Choose AI FOOH if:

• You need to ride the news cycle, and speed matters more than total control.
• You want to test different ideas or many versions quickly.
• The idea rests on a surreal transformation, and pixel-perfect product accuracy isn't at the centre of the scene.
• You have footage with clear usage rights and want to build a new idea on top of it.

The two routes aren't mutually exclusive. In hybrid projects, concepts and variations are explored quickly with AI, and the product or the chosen scene is built exactly in CGI. We explain how AI fits into our pipeline on the AI ad film production page.

Examples from Clytech

Clytech is a CGI, FOOH and AI advertising studio based in Istanbul and London; we have worked with 85+ brands in 15+ countries, and our work has passed 500 million views in total. Here are real FOOH examples from both routes:

SUWEN bus stop (CGI FOOH). An ordinary bus stop becomes a SUWEN showcase through a digital installation that sits naturally within real street footage, putting the collection on display at city scale. Made in 9:16 for social feeds, the film passed 58 million views.

PUBG Mobile, 100th Year of the Republic (CGI FOOH). The game's iconic giant supply drops parachute onto skylines in Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Antalya, Mardin and the Black Sea region; we produced the campaign across these six regions. Turning a familiar game element into part of a national celebration, it passed 30 million views.

Galata Tower AI FOOH experience. In this AI-driven FOOH piece, Galata Tower, one of Istanbul's most recognisable landmarks, gets a surreal makeover, with the city's historic texture and CGI illusion in the same scene. Built for viral sharing, the 9:16 video deliberately blurs the line between the real location and the digital illusion.

Paşabahçe giant gift box (AI FOOH). The premise is simple: a giant gift box planted in the middle of the city. Built with AI-assisted production, the scene turns the brand's giftware into a street-scale illusion, and the 9:16 video is cut short and punchy to stop the scroll on digital channels.

Frequently asked questions

Do you need a filming permit for AI FOOH?

It depends on the location and how the piece is produced. If a real location is filmed and permits are needed, we obtain them, or on some projects the brand does; if existing footage is used, the rights to that footage need to be clear too. We settle this together during planning.

Can AI FOOH look as real as CGI FOOH?

On both routes, the goal is to make viewers ask “is this real?”; the Galata Tower video deliberately blurs that line. Where every product detail must be exactly right, CGI leads.

Which one is faster?

When you need to ride the news cycle, AI FOOH can be the faster option. Still, on both routes the complexity of the idea, the number of versions and the approval rounds set the timeline; we confirm it once we have seen your brief.

Is the giant product actually installed in the city?

No. Neither route involves billboard rental or a physical installation in the city: in CGI FOOH the giant product is added to real footage in CGI, and in AI FOOH it is generated with AI. Paid social distribution is planned separately.

Next step

One question usually settles it: does your idea depend on a specific real location and an exact product look, or do speed and many versions matter more? Send us your brief and we'll reply within 24 hours with a CGI, AI or hybrid approach. If you'd like to see our work first, start with our company presentation; all of our services are on the services page.