The Sports Bra That Sent Me Down an AI Rabbit Hole

I bought an ICANIWILL sports bra because of a TikTok ad.

Then ICIW started following me EVERYWHERE.

TikTok. Instagram. YouTube. Even my games. Probably into my dreams.

I understand retargeting. Well played, ICIW.

But then I noticed a little AI label in the corner of one of its YouTube ads.

And somehow, I went from buying a sports bra to playing Nancy Drew, investigating AI advertising.

Because apparently, I can’t just buy something and move on with my life.

Let me explain.

I LOVE activewear. Funny, considering gym was ALWAYS my least favourite subject in school.

Sorry, Mr. Folkerson. Half the time, I faked period cramps just to avoid another dodgeball to the face.

Seriously, WHO invented dodgeball?!

Now I actually CHOOSE to work out. Pilates, yoga, high-impact classes. And I enjoy it!

Character development, I guess.

Anyway, back to the sports bra.

The TikTok ad showed someone trying on ICIW’s Mirage High Support Sports Bra and explaining how the support under the bust worked.

I thought, “Let’s try it!”

And I did. The marketing worked.

Then came the retargeting.

One YouTube ad had this retro gym-class look. Suddenly, I was 13 again, hoping Mr. Folkerson wouldn’t make us play dodgeball.

Thankfully, his whistle can no longer hurt me.

But then I spotted that little AI label.

“Created or edited with AI.”

EXCUSE ME?

OKAY, BUT WHICH PART?!

The models? The clothes? The background? Did someone use AI to remove a stray hair?!

Naturally, I had to investigate.

I went to ICIW’s TikTok and found behind-the-scenes footage.

Real models. A real set. An actual production.

So WHAT was AI?

The label doesn’t say.

And I think that creates TWO problems.

As a customer, how am I supposed to know whether AI changed the actual product I’m looking at?

And as a brand, imagine paying for models, photographers and an entire shoot, only for people to question whether any of it was real.

According to 2025 research from NRG, commissioned by Smartly, 81% of US consumers surveyed said they were more comfortable with AI in advertising when they understood how it was being used.

Which makes sense!

There’s a BIG difference between using AI to change a background and making a sports bra look more supportive than it really is.

One changes how the ad looks.

The other could change whether someone buys the product.

And that’s something marketers should care about.

The first ad convinced me to buy.

The second made me question the advertising.

And ironically, ICIW’s behind-the-scenes TikTok footage told me more about its production than the AI disclosure did.

I use AI in my creative work, so I’m not against it.

But I think consumers deserve to know when AI changes what they’re actually buying.

Because “Created or edited with AI” tells us AI was involved.

GREAT.

BUT WHAT DID IT DO?!