BETC Stages Nine Eras of Human Birth to Launch HUMANKIND II
Updated: 3 days ago
French agency BETC has made a 95-second film for Amplitude Studios' strategy game HUMANKIND II, showing newborns opening their eyes across nine historical eras — shot entirely without generative AI.
What BETC launched
French agency BETC has created a 95-second film, 'Humankind is about to begin again', for French studio Amplitude Studios' strategy game HUMANKIND II. The film shows newborns opening their eyes across nine historical eras — from the Neolithic to the Vikings to the Black Death — and was produced without any generative AI, using nine custom sets and around 100 extras shot over three days in Sofia. The game launches on Steam in 2027.
For a title about the entire arc of human civilisation, the production choices are as much a message as the film itself.
Why it matters
The most striking creative decision here is what BETC did not use. In a year when studios are racing to cut costs with generative AI, a games launch shooting nine physical historical sets with 100 extras is a statement about craft — and a signal that "made by humans" is becoming a marketing position in its own right.
Our read: this is deliberate counter-programming. As AI-generated content floods feeds, the handmade and the physically real start to stand out simply by being scarce. For a game literally about the sweep of human history, the choice to reject AI is not just aesthetic — it is on-message.
What businesses should do
Consider whether "no AI" is a story your brand can tell. For some categories — craft, heritage, human creativity — visibly rejecting generative tools signals quality and authenticity in a way that will only grow as AI content becomes ubiquitous.
But make the choice mean something. BETC's no-AI approach lands because it matches the product's theme. Rejecting AI purely as a gimmick reads as hollow; tying it to what your brand genuinely stands for is what makes it resonate.
Quick FAQ
What is BETC's HUMANKIND II film?
A 95-second launch film for Amplitude Studios' strategy game, showing newborns across nine historical eras, made without generative AI.
How was it produced?
With nine custom sets and around 100 extras, shot over three days in Sofia; the game launches on Steam in 2027.
Why avoid AI?
To foreground human craft and authenticity — an increasingly distinctive position as AI-generated content becomes ubiquitous.
In a year when everyone's cutting corners with AI, shooting nine historical sets with a hundred extras is a flex. 'Made by humans' is quietly becoming a marketing position — and it lands hardest when, like here, it actually matches what the product is about. — Daniel Nikolla, Founder of Merx Marketing
As AI content floods every feed, visibly human craft becomes scarce — and scarcity is exactly what makes a brand stand out.
Is 'made by humans' a story your brand could credibly and distinctively tell?
If you would like to know more about this topic, please contact us on danieln@merxmarketing.co.uk
Sources: CB News, Influencia.
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Written by Daniel Nikolla, Founder of Merx Marketing Ltd and Marketing Minute
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