Freelance marketplace Fiverr tackles AI job fears in new campaign

Amid fears that AI is coming for all of our jobs, Fiverr, the freelance job marketplace, is out with a new campaign that takes a much more optimistic view. Called “Power of Humanity,” the in-house effort posits that humans, and their creative touch, are the driving force that AI needs as it evolves.

“With this campaign, we wanted to emphasize that human talent is still essential and that we shouldn’t be threatened by the potential of AI,” said Gali Arnon, Fiverr’s chief marketing officer, adding that “AI is a great tool that can help elevate your business and work, but at the end of the day, great ideas and creativity come from human talent.”

A 60-second spot that will begin airing next week reinforces that message. A final version of the ad was not available at press time.

“Humans—they’re noisy, they thrive on chaos,” a voiceover from a robot-type machine says in the spot. “Change makes them nervous … but embracing it changes everything.” The video shows that AI works well as a tool wielded by human beings. The campaign also showcases real freelancers from Fiverr’s network. A series of out-of-home ads feature individuals with big text that reads, “AI took my job,” above smaller text that reads “to the next level.”

The direction of Fiverr’s push came from a recent survey insight that 90% of businesses are using or are planning to use freelancers to complete or complement projects using generative AI. The survey included 500 businesses in the U.S. and was conducted by market research firm Ipsos for Fiverr.

Also read: AI will replace over 30000 ad agency jobs, report says

Fiverr is expanding its out-of-home push with the new campaign. While it previously focused on subway ads, it is adding street billboards in high-traffic destinations in New York City. The spot will run as digital video and on TV.

The push arrives during a rapidly changing job market. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, employees held all the cards in terms of where, when and how they would work at a time dubbed the Great Resignation. Now, the environment has shifted as the marketplace tightens, costs rise and employers gain more leverage.

See last month's ad job report here

For example, layoffs and back-to-office mandates are sweeping across the ad agency landscape. But Arnon said the pressures have not yet hit the freelance market, where Fiverr has “continued to see incredible growth” for its flexibility. For the second quarter, the company posted a 5.1% rise in revenue to $89.4 million, alongside profit of $227,000.

“In the wake of recent layoffs from last November and the start of this year, we’ve seen an uptick in freelancers joining our marketplace to find more flexible work and enhance their skills,” she said. The company recently relaunched its Fiverr Pro program to help agencies find staffers; Arnon added that a recent Fiverr study found that 78% of business leaders are more likely to hire freelancers than full-time employees during times of economic strife.