Keep it Real

Online protection company McAfee launches Keep it Real, a new campaign created to raise awareness about the rise of AI-driven scams, while also working to shift the culture of shame that surrounds being scammed. The campaign blends thumb-stopping digital ads that use AI to spark conversation about what’s real and fake online with Scam Stories—a movement that empowers scam survivors to speak out, reduce stigma, and help others stay safe. Together, these elements create a powerful, human-centered effort to inform, connect, and protect.

The creative ad campaign was developed in partnership with VSA Partners and launched alongside McAfee’s Scam Detector, a new feature that uses AI to automatically spot scams across text, email, and video. While the ads lean into the surreal, the message is serious: with AI blurring the lines between real and fake, people need help telling the difference.

The campaign’s digital ads—including Travel, Weight Loss, and Tolls—were designed to make people pause and think. One of the first spots to gain traction shows a woman lounging on a beach, when her head suddenly rotates a full 360 degrees. Online reactions were immediate. Some assumed it was a post-production error. Others thought it was a deepfake gone wrong. And while a few viewers realized it was intentional, many were left wondering whether the moment was accidental or planned. That uncertainty was part of the point.