In 2025, when artificial intelligence dominates conversations across industries, even an innocent detergent ad isn’t spared from AI suspicion. Surf Excel’s latest commercial, featuring a mischievous monkey, has become a viral talking point — not for its message, but for whether the monkey was real or AI-generated.
The Surf Excel Ad That Sparked the Debate
Conceptualised by Ogilvy and produced by Little Lamb Films, the Surf Excel spot carries forward the brand’s beloved “Daag Achhe Hain” (Stains are good) philosophy.
The story follows a young boy who soils his white T-shirt while helping a street vendor retrieve a ₹10 note snatched by a monkey. The film closes with the brand’s reassurance that every good deed (and every stain) is easily handled by Surf Excel — this time, with a ₹10 sachet.
But as the ad began circulating online, viewers were quick to question the monkey’s authenticity. Comments flooded in asking if the creature was “AI-made” or created through CGI.
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‘No AI or VFX Used’ — The Director Speaks
To clear the air, Bauddhayan Mukherji, founder of Little Lamb Films, took to LinkedIn to clarify: “Ever since our new Surf Excel film released, people have been telling/asking me – ‘Wow, what a cool AI job.’ or ‘Monkey created on CG?’ I wanted to set the record straight. We shot with real monkeys in Bangkok, trained them for a month, and did not use any AI or VFX in this film.”
Interestingly, the production team had anticipated the confusion. The film even opens with a clear disclaimer: “No AI or VFX was used in the making of this film.”
Why Everyone Thought It Was AI
Today’s advertising landscape is deeply intertwined with AI tools — from virtual influencers to synthetic voiceovers and photorealistic visuals. The public has grown cautious, often assuming anything extraordinary must be AI-generated.
Recent controversies like Coca-Cola’s holiday ad, which drew criticism for using AI visuals instead of traditional animation, have only heightened this skepticism.
A Return to Authentic Storytelling
Mukherji’s insistence on authenticity is refreshing. In a world where artificial content floods timelines, the revelation that Surf Excel’s monkeys are real feels almost unbelievable — and that’s exactly the irony.
Interestingly, Ogilvy itself recently played with the theme of AI confusion through Cadbury 5 Star’s “Make Al Mediocre Again” campaign, which humorously created fake content to “confuse” AI systems.
The Bigger Picture: Trust in Advertising
The Surf Excel episode highlights a growing tension between tech innovation and authenticity. As AI becomes more capable, audiences increasingly crave proof that what they’re seeing is genuine.
In this case, Mukherji’s monkeys may be the most surprising thing of all — not because they look real, but because they are real.
