SurePayroll — 30-Second Vertical Social Ad
Concept Development · AI Image & Video Generation · Prompt Engineering · Motion Graphics · Video Editing · Sound Design
The Project
This self-directed concept explores how generative AI can be integrated into an established brand's creative-production workflow without sacrificing consistency, creative direction, or professional production standards.
The goal was to create a 30-second, 9:16 social advertisement for SurePayroll using a combination of AI-generated imagery and video, traditional motion design, product animation, editing, and brand stewardship.
The concept centers on a simple idea: small business owners should be able to spend less time managing payroll and more time doing the work that moves their businesses forward.
The Concept
The spot follows several small business owners through moments in their working day—from a baker preparing bread and a landscaping crew getting ready for a job to a retailer opening her store.
The story then shifts to the administrative side of running a business before introducing SurePayroll and four core product benefits:
Easy online payroll
Automatic payroll
Payroll tax filing
Payroll on the go
Automatic payroll
Payroll tax filing
Payroll on the go
The commercial concludes by returning to the business owners and the work they would rather be doing, reinforcing the message:
We'll handle the payroll.
AI-Assisted Production
Generative AI was used as a production tool rather than a replacement for the traditional creative process.
Individual scenes were first developed as static visual references and then selectively animated using Adobe Firefly's generative video tools. Prompts were refined shot by shot to control movement, preserve visual continuity, and minimize common generative-video artifacts.
The process required more than simply generating footage. Outputs were evaluated for realistic human movement, object consistency, typography, hands, environmental details, and overall suitability for professional brand communication. When artifacts appeared, prompts and actions were deliberately simplified until the resulting footage felt natural and believable.
Human Direction + AI Production
One of the most valuable discoveries during the project was that effective AI-assisted production often depends on knowing what not to ask the model to do.
Complex actions were frequently replaced with smaller, more controlled movements. Rather than accepting technically impressive generations containing visible AI artifacts, shots were art-directed around the strengths and limitations of the technology.
AI provided new production capabilities, while concept development, visual storytelling, brand decisions, pacing, typography, motion design, editing, and final quality control remained human-directed.
Motion Design & Brand Integration
The SurePayroll product sequence was created using traditional motion-design techniques rather than generative video.
A branded smartphone interface introduces key product benefits one at a time, creating a visual transition from the human small-business story into the payroll solution. The final brand card brings the photographic, product, typography, and motion systems together into a cohesive conclusion.
This hybrid approach allowed AI-generated footage to live within an established visual identity rather than defining the identity itself.
The Result
The finished 30-second vertical spot combines generative AI with traditional creative-production disciplines to create a cohesive branded story designed for social media.
More importantly, the project demonstrates a practical approach to AI-assisted creative production: use AI where it expands production possibilities, apply traditional design and motion skills where greater control is required, and maintain human creative judgment throughout the process.
Tools: Adobe Firefly · Adobe After Effects · Adobe Premiere Pro · Adobe Photoshop · Adobe Illustrator · ChatGPT
Challenge
To support SurePayroll's "Run Payroll From Anywhere" campaign, I developed a concept showing a small business owner processing payroll from a laptop while relaxing at the beach. With a limited budget, the project would need to rely on standard Adobe Stock B-roll. To make this footage appear as a finished and convincing video spot a product insert shot would need to be added.
My Role
Figure out a way to seamlessly integrate the payroll software dashboard into the laptop seen in the stock footage, and tie the whole spot together with company branding.
Deliverables
A polished, high-fidelity 1:1 video spot optimized for social commerce. The final asset delivered seamless visual continuity and brand integration, resulting in an engagement-ready asset.
AI-Driven Motion Design
To drive home the “Built for This” tagline, an intricate animation was needed. I leveraged AI tools to animate a short but complex, high-impact outro. This approach bypassed traditional frame-by-frame constraints, delivering premium production value while drastically reducing turnaround time.
AI Production & Workflow
The way we interact with AI and the way my brain requires highly detailed information are very similar. Therefore, writing AI prompts comes quite naturally and excites me very much. I use AI tools as creative accelerators while maintaining human oversight, brand consistency, and production quality.
Process
Text-to-video B-roll footage generation, Illustrator text to vector graphics, AI-assisted image cleanup and compositing, AI concept visualization, AI-assisted content adaption and repurposing for multi-channel campaigns.