Hairspray, shoulder pads and the role of generative AI in creative.

A mate of mine in advertising recently shared a showreel from the agency he was working at in 1986. Amidst a sea of hair-sprayed barnets and shoulder pads, we see creatives, artworkers and typesetters beavering away in a busy studio. Then, about halfway through, something big happens.

The music fades, and the overzealous narrator (probably a stray Account Exec who once did radio) proclaims; “And now, using the latest Apple Macintosh and desktop publishing technology, graphics are created in a flash, and you can even check artwork on your own VDU (that’s ‘screen’ to you and me).” As we later discover, an 8-page brochure can now be produced in as little as 21-days. Total game changer.

This, for me, was a timely reminder of the impact technology can have on our world. Imagine what these guys must have thought when Adobe’s software came along a few years later?

And the parallels with the impact generative AI brings are plain to see. Something, you may not be surprised to hear, we have a view on.

And here it is…

There’s no doubt, in competent hands, AI brings efficiency. It can be a catalyst, an accelerator and help streamline the process – better for creative teams, better for clients. In that respect it is no different to the tech and software that has come before.

But it’s not the answer, the silver bullet, or ‘hack’, to any creative brief. You simply cannot shortcut to the ‘idea’. That’s where real intelligence, emotion, empathy, and curiosity come in. Just like they always have.

This view is summarised in our official agency stance: AI is a tool in service of the idea.

I’d love to hear your view. If you have one, drop me an email or find me on LinkedIn.

And if you want to hear how we’re harnessing generative AI in team creative, watch out for our next blog: Promptly does it.