Testing the Branding Consistency Capabilities of Runway Gen-2

The recent release of Gen-2 by Runway has unlocked boundless possibilities for creative individuals across various industries that utilize videography. After successfully creating a commercial for a futuristic robot food source, I became intrigued and decided to explore the tool's marketing potential for rebranding. Using its current capabilities, I aimed to assess the consistency of the generative output by providing the same image and text prompt for a specific product across multiple video clips.

To initiate the experiment, I crafted a script with text prompts and sought assistance from ChatGPT to refine it.

Shot 1: [Visuals: Fizzing carbonation bubbles from a clear liquid in a glass with a retro-looking soda can beside it]

Narrator: "From the creators of Static, the soda that’s so carbonated, it's downright painful..."

Shot 2: [Visuals: A refreshing carbonated clear liquid being poured from a retro-looking soda can into a glass by a robot]

Narrator: "Comes a brand-new beverage..."

Shot 3: [Visuals: Close-up of retro-looking soda can with futuristic elements in the background]

Narrator: "Introducing Retro Static, the soda that electrifies your taste buds with a jolt from the past, reminiscent of a vintage TV screen zap."

Shot 4: [Visuals: A robot taking a satisfying sip from a glass of clear carbonated liquid in their futuristic kitchen]

Narrator: "Take a sip and prepare to be transported back in time."

Shot 5: [Visuals: Flashback to the 1990s, vibrant scenes of robots dressed in 1990’s colorful retro clothing dancing and partying in a roller rink with colorful lights. One of the robots is holding a retro red soda can.]

Narrator: "Step into the year 1990, where you can groove like the humans of the past."

Shot 6: [Visuals: Three robots in 1990’s colorful retro clothing enjoying retro-looking soda cans sitting at a table in the colorful 1990s roller rink with colorful lights]

Narrator: "Prepare yourself for an unforgettable nostalgia explosion with Retro Static!”

Shot 7: [Visuals: Retro-looking soda can on a table at the roller rink with retro colorful 1990s elements in the background]

Narrator: "Retro Static: The Future's Blast from the Past!"

Following that, I utilized ElevenLabs for narration and SOUNDRAW to create fitting music for the commercial. Transitioning to Runway's Gen-2 "Text to Video" tool, I inputted visual text prompts alongside a photo of a 90s cherry Coke can as a reference. I used this identical image for each soda can shot, accompanied by the text "retro-looking soda can," to gauge the tool's consistency capabilities.

While importing the prompts and observing the resulting generations, I soon realized that attaining a consistent depiction of the soda would prove challenging. The "words" appeared alien-like and inconsistent, and the can transformed into various shapes, even assuming the form of a bottle at one point. Below are all the videos of the can, each derived from the same reference image and text prompt.

However, the tool did exhibit consistency in its portrayal of the 90s roller rink shots with robots. The two generated scenes exhibited cohesion and appeared as though captured on the same set.

I then utilized Runway's Gen-1 "Text to Image" tool to create a logo for Retro Static. Interestingly, the tool generated a logo with similar alien-style writing, which harmonized with the video generations. Notably, the logo bore a resemblance to Coca-Cola's logo without any explicit reference image.

Presented below is the final Retro Static commercial, an imaginative take on the retro rebranding of a future brand.

Although Runway's "Text to Video" tool exhibited a lack of consistency in its generations, it somehow feels acceptable considering the futuristic setting of the video. However, I believe that given its current capabilities, this tool cannot be reliably employed for content creation just yet. Even when provided with consistent text prompts and reference images, its output remains unpredictable. As this tool is in its early stages, I anticipate that further advancements will occur, eventually enabling it to generate all the necessary shots for commercials. This marks the beginning of a transformative shift in content marketing creation, and it is truly thrilling to witness.