‘Liv’ Ain’t Livin’ and Neither is ‘Grandpa Brian’

By Graeme Blake, CEO of Blutui

Ad agency executives, take note: if Meta’s latest move doesn’t sound alarm bells across the industry, then we’ve all been too comfortable for way too long.

Trust is the currency of advertising, and Meta has just torched what little remained of theirs. The introduction of AI bots, the likes of ‘Liv’ (ironic) and ‘Grandpa Brian’ posing as fake profiles on Facebook and Instagram, a move cloaked in claims of innovation, raises serious questions for agencies, brands, and their clients.

Reality check time: This isn’t a bold leap into the future of engagement. It’s a reckless play that compromised the integrity of social platforms at a time when transparency should be the highest priority.

It’s not enough that users are already battling scammers, identity theft, ad fraud, and dodgy metrics. Now, Meta has made the conscious decision to inject deeply fake accounts into its ecosystem. What are these bots for?

• Low-cost influencers? Selling reach at a fraction of the price?

• Data mining experiments? Free focus groups, perhaps?

• User count padding? A buffer when ad revenue inevitably slows?

Whatever the rationale, this move reeks of opacity, an issue that the Advertising: Who Cares? movement is actively mobilizing against.

The Advertising: Who Cares? Connection

For those unfamiliar, Advertising: Who Cares? is a call for greater accountability in Adland. It’s about rejecting the hollow metrics and shady practices that have driven our industry into a volume-over-value spiral. It’s about pushing for transparency, trust, and authentic brand connections.

And Meta’s latest experiment is a case study in why this movement matters. Fake accounts, fake engagement, fake metrics, these undermine everything we claim to stand for as an industry. The promise of digital advertising has always been measurability and accountability. But what happens when the data itself can’t be trusted?

As agencies, we owe it to our clients to demand better. And, frankly, we owe it to ourselves. How can we credibly advise brands on where to invest their budgets when platforms are pulling stunts like this?

The Impact on Ad Agencies

This headache isn’t Meta’s alone, it’s all of Adland's too. Agencies have built entire strategies around platforms like Facebook and Instagram. We’ve sold clients on the promise of “engagement” and “audience targeting.” But what happens when those audiences turn out to be bots? When the engagement is synthetic?

Imagine pitching a campaign to a client, only to later realize half the followers are AI-generated fakes. The hit to credibility, and client trust, would be catastrophic.

And let’s not ignore the long-term ramifications. As AI bots infiltrate the ecosystem, brands will start questioning the value of social advertising altogether. If platforms can’t provide genuine engagement, agencies will be forced to look elsewhere.

A Call to Action

The Advertising: Who Cares? movement was built to guard against exactly this kind of opaque activity. It’s a reminder that as an industry, we have the power, and responsibility, to demand transparency from the platforms we rely on.

Here’s what agencies need to do now:

1. Interrogate the Platforms. Push for clarity on how AI bots are being used. If Meta can’t provide transparent answers, it’s time to reassess how much weight we give their metrics.

2. Champion Authenticity. Advocate for platforms and strategies that prioritize real connections over fake engagement.

3. Educate Clients. Brands need to understand the risks of opaque practices, and why agencies are pushing for alternatives.

4. Join the Movement. The Advertising: Who Cares? initiative is more than a critique, it’s a blueprint for a better industry. Get involved, bring your clients on board, and make transparency the standard.

The Bigger Picture

Meta’s move is a wake-up call. As AI continues to reshape the digital landscape, agencies must stay vigilant. AI isn’t inherently bad, at Blutui, we’re excited about its potential to enhance creativity and efficiency. But when the intent is to manipulate metrics, confuse the market, and the result is that trust is eroded it becomes a threat we can’t ignore.

At Blutui, we’re building tools for an industry that prioritizes trust, both human and algorithmic. We believe in creating digital landscapes that are transparent, measurable, and real.

Because if Meta’s latest move teaches us anything, it’s this: trust isn’t a renewable resource, a blue tick or verification label. It’s everything for humans and without it, the entire foundation of the advertising framework crumbles.

Zack’s shotgun may be aimed squarely at the bottom of the U.S.S Meta’s, but its agencies and their trusted relationship with their clients that’s at risk of going down with the ship. Let’s not let that happen. Let’s demand better, let’s build a better Adland.

Graeme Blake
CEO, Blutui