September 30, 2026
Greta Garbo returns to advertising: SKF creates a 99-second AI video
On September 30, SKF released a 99-second film in which an AI version of Greta Garbo advertises magnetic bearings. The actress's family took part in the campaign. A live actor played Garbo, while generative AI overlaid her likeness and recreated her voice from recordings of an early film.
Garbo's likeness had previously been used by Ferragamo, Gucci, and Louis Vuitton; SKF has now featured her posthumous likeness in a moving ad for the first time. For the film, its creators built her appearance from text prompts in Seedream and Google Nano Banana Pro, without uploading copyrighted photos or videos. For people making AI videos, the formula is familiar: a live actor provides the movement, while generative AI changes the face and voice.
The Garbo family is prepared to consider an AI version of the actress for roles in 21st-century films.