Cover image via PJaccetturo / X
An actual 30-second ad generated entirely by AI aired during Game 3 of the NBA Finals, and it only cost around (USD2,000) RM8,500 to make
Sports betting platform Kalshi hired AI filmmaker PJ Accetturo to create what he called "the most unhinged NBA Finals commercial possible".
The ad features a host of chaotic characters: a farmer soaking in a pool of eggs, an alien smashing beers, a pensioner draped in an American flag, and other weird AI-generated characters.
Image via PJaccetturo / X
Armed with Google's new AI video model Veo 3, and a budget that wouldn't cover catering on a traditional shoot, Accetturo delivered a glitchy, meme-laced trip that somehow made it through network TV censors
"The world's gone mad, trade it," the ad declares, flashing through surreal scenes that feel ripped from a Grand Theft Auto's side mission gone rogue.
In a behind-the-scenes thread on X, Accetturo explained how he used Gemini and ChatGPT to brainstorm characters — like "rizzed out grandpa headed to the club" — and shape the script.
From there, he pumped hundreds of prompts into Veo 3, generating 300 to 400 clips to shortlist 15 that worked.
Image via PJaccetturo / X
Kalshi said his client initially did not consider AI, but after receiving six-and seven-figure quotes from traditional production houses with weeks-long timelines, they pivoted
Three days and 20 million impressions later, it's safe to say they're doubling down on AI.
"The client got an insane ad on a blistering timeline, and I got paid really well, while working in my underwear," Accetturo said.
Welcome to the future of advertising. It's low budget, high weirdness, and built from prompts.
