Why Brands Need UGC in 2026

In 2025, one Instagram post changed the way marketers think about “real.”

Aerie, the American clothing brand behind the #AerieREAL campaign, refused AI-made ads and chose customers as their models instead. That post became the most-liked Instagram post of the year.

In the age when algorithms can produce faces, voices, and even emotions, why did a less-than-perfect yet real image make people respond so strongly? Because people don’t relate to perfection; they relate to people.

And that’s precisely why, in 2026, brands need UGC more than ever.

The Aerie Case: When Rejecting AI Became a Winning Move

Aerie went “anti-AI,” and it wasn’t just a stunt; it was a statement. While most brands embraced generative AI to cut costs and boost output, Aerie took the opposite route. They celebrated diversity, skin texture, and body marks that AI tools smooth away.

The result? Thousands of positive remarks, user-tagged reposts, and record-breaking engagement. It wasn’t technology that won attention—it was authenticity.

Are we losing the human touch that makes people feel something?

The Emotional Power of Real Faces and Voices

AI can analyze millions of data points and create faultless visuals, but it cannot recreate the subtle imperfection that makes a creation human. That shaky camera angle, spontaneous laughter, and unscripted tone—all the cues our brains label as “real.”

According to Nielsen research, ads based on UGC gain up to 6.9× higher engagement and twice as much trust as branded content. Why? Because they seem real.

Today’s consumers don’t just want to buy from brands; they want to believe in them. And belief doesn’t come from perfection; it comes from relatability.

AI Can’t Fake Trust — But UGC Can Earn It

AI is an incredible assistant, but a terrible storyteller. You can train a model on tone, but not intent. In 2026, AI-generated ads will flood every platform, but the real differentiation won’t be speed or scale—it will be trust.

Trust is built when a real person—a customer, a creator, a user—shares their experience in their own voice. That’s something no machine can imitate.

Brands that understand this will start combining both worlds: AI for creative support, UGC for emotional authenticity. That hybrid model is the future of marketing.