OpenAI Launches ChatGPT Voice Campaign with Three Grandpas in the UK

In an effort to showcase the capabilities of its latest feature, OpenAI has partnered with three busy grandfathers from the UK to demonstrate how ChatGPT Voice can be used in everyday life. The integrated campaign, titled ‘Get Stuff Done with ChatGPT Voice,’ aims to highlight the benefits of using voice commands for tasks such as translation and document creation.

The feature allows users to translate live conversations, complete tasks across email, calendar, and Slack, create documents or draft emails by voice, and more. With over 1.2 billion people worldwide now using ChatGPT, the campaign shows how artificial intelligence can help in moments when typing is not feasible.

‘A conversation can be the start of getting something done,’ said Elke Karskens, international marketing director at OpenAI. ‘With ChatGPT Voice, you can work through an idea, create a document or translate in real time, all while keeping your hands free.’

The campaign features three grandfathers - Jim, Ray, and Terry - who are shown using ChatGPT Voice to plan their family’s trip to Casablanca, Morocco; polish up on their Spanish language skills with live translation; and ask for suggestions to help solve a crossword puzzle. The films mimic a traditional advertising set, but the grandfathers go off script to speak to the director.

The goal of the campaign is to show viewers that they can talk naturally, think aloud, and ask follow-up questions without typing. This approach is in line with OpenAI’s previous campaigns featuring grandmothers using ChatGPT Voice for tasks such as canceling duplicate magazine subscriptions and making websites.

According to IAB UK data from UKOM Ipsos iris, more than a third of UK adults aged 55 and over used AI tools in July this year, up from just over a fifth a year earlier. The IPA’s TouchPoints report also shows that 21% of the same age group now watch ad-supported streaming weekly, up from 9% in 2024.

The ‘Get Stuff Done’ campaign runs across various video-on-demand services including ITV, Channel 4, Sky, Amazon Prime, Netflix, and Disney+, with a two-minute film also available on YouTube. Additional activity will take place on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.

Marketers selling tech-heavy products can learn from the approach taken by OpenAI in this campaign. By casting an unlikely expert - three grandfathers with no technical background - they demonstrate that using ChatGPT Voice requires no special skill. The films also ground each story to the product’s use cases, showing viewers how they can apply these features to their own lives.

The repetition of a human-centered approach in OpenAI’s campaigns may be seen as a strategy by some, but it is clear that this method resonates with audiences and helps build trust in AI technology. By showcasing everyday people using ChatGPT Voice for tasks such as planning trips or solving crosswords, the campaign aims to make these features feel more accessible and routine.