3 Grandpas Help OpenAI Pitch ChatGPT Voice to Older UK Viewers

OpenAI gave its latest ChatGPT feature to three busy grandpas, and they have plenty to say about it.

The AI company has launched "Get Stuff Done with ChatGPT Voice" in the UK. This advertising campaign shows off the latest Voice updates.

The feature can now translate speech as people talk and handle tasks across email, calendars, and Slack. It can also create documents and write email drafts using voice commands.

With more than 1.2 billion people worldwide now using the tool, the campaign shows how artificial intelligence can help people get things done when their hands are too busy to type.

"A conversation can be the start of getting something done," explained 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.

"We hope our grandpas spark a little curiosity about what people can get done with Voice in their own lives."

OpenAI's in-house creative marketing team made the films with MindsEye. Mat LaRoche directed them in London.

Grandpas Speak Freely on Set

The films show three grandpas using ChatGPT Voice in their everyday lives.

Jim plans an upcoming family trip to Casablanca, Morocco. Ray practices his Spanish and uses live translation to talk with a friend who speaks Spanish.

Meanwhile, Terry asks for ideas to help him solve a crossword puzzle.

The filming looks like a traditional advertising set. The crew can be seen on camera, and the grandpas sometimes stop following the script to talk to the director.

The aim is to show viewers that they can speak naturally, think out loud, and ask more questions without having to type.

OpenAI first featured grandmas in its ChatGPT Voice ads in July. That campaign showed how an update allowed the tool to listen and think at the same time, making conversations feel more natural.

A two-minute follow-up film in September showed grandmas asking Voice to cancel a duplicate magazine subscription that it had spotted. They also asked it to build a website.

The new ads featuring grandpas continue that story in the UK. They show viewers how to move from asking questions to letting ChatGPT handle tasks.

The latest campaign starts on October 19 across video-on-demand services, including ITV, Channel 4, Sky, Amazon Prime, Netflix, and Disney+.

A two-minute film will also appear on YouTube, with more campaign content on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.

Familiar Faces Help Make New Technology Feel Easy

The people using these tools are changing.

Data from IAB UK, based on UKOM Ipsos iris research, shows that more than one-third of UK adults aged 55 and over used AI tools in July 2026. A year earlier, the figure was just over one-fifth.

The IPA's TouchPoints report also shows that 21% of people in this age group now watch streaming services with ads every week, up from 9% in 2024.

Both trends mean that ads featuring grandpa-aged viewers can reach an audience that is increasingly interested in AI and streaming.

OpenAI's earlier Codex campaign, called "Time to Fly," used large sets mounted on moving camera equipment to give developers the physical feeling of flying. This approach suited a professional audience.

"Get Stuff Done" promotes a smaller, everyday habit to a general audience. It uses familiar daily tasks and keeps the filming crew visible on screen.

Together, the campaigns suggest that OpenAI changes its style to suit each audience while keeping people at the center of its stories.

Marketers selling products that use advanced technology can learn three things from these films:

• Choose an unexpected expert: Three grandpas who are not known for their technology skills help show that using the product does not require special knowledge.
• Connect each story to something the product can do: Planning a trip, translating a conversation, and solving a crossword help viewers picture how they could use ChatGPT in their own lives.
• Advertise where habits are growing: Ads on streaming services can reach older viewers as more of them watch ad-supported content each week.

Voice asks people to change the way they use technology. To make that change, they need to see proof that it is easy.

Brands that earn people's trust will be those that let ordinary people show how easy their products are to use.

Our Take: Is a Human Story the Only Way to Sell AI?

We do not think it is the only way, but it is the approach OpenAI keeps choosing. Repeating the approach is part of the strategy.

OpenAI's first major brand campaign for ChatGPT, launched in 2025, showed people using it to plan workouts, cook dinner, and plan a road trip.

The grandmas appeared in July and September, and now three grandpas bring the same everyday approach to the UK.

Each film adds another everyday task to the list. This tells viewers that AI can help with planning a trip, translating a conversation, or solving a crossword, as well as working on a job.

When people keep seeing a product used in ordinary situations, they may start to make it part of their daily routine. Building that routine helps bring users back.

Technology brands are exploring how to turn products with lots of technical features and data into stories that connect with people's feelings.

Work with these top marketing agencies listed in our directory.