With technology entering every aspect of modern businesses, can advertising be too far behind?  In fact, campaigns that deftly merge tech with creativity are touted to be the future of advertising.  

The industry has been integrating technology into its communication, reaching consumers in a way that wasn’t possible before. Apart from creating a seamless user experience, “creative tech” has also been impacting positive changes in people’s lives.   

^{The Unfiltered History Tour, created by DENTSU Creative India was the most celebrated work in Canne Lions 2022. Took creative tech a notch up making the advertising industry take note.}

Speaking about how ad creativity is evolving and is interconnected with technology, Rashid Ahmed, Chief Digital Officer at Infectious Advertising, said, “While reach is an important aspect of advertising (because obviously, if people don’t know you exist, how can they love you?); creativity veers towards the impact and memorability of communication. In today’s technology-tied advertising, memorability can be aided through the use of unique techniques for developing creativity or even delivering it. The use of technology during development or delivery is itself both innovative and creative. With newer AI-assisted technologies rapidly coming into the fray, the advertising industry is bound to evolve, to enhance creativity based on compelling human ideas.” 

Mithun Mukherjee, ECD, FCB Kinnect, has a different take. He says that the creative advertising industry serves only one purpose: serving its consumers. 

“For centuries, the medium of expression has constantly evolved; from print to radio, to television and finally, the internet. As we enter a new age of creative tech, creative people are bracing themselves for impact once again,” he noted.  

Mukherjee, however, added that it isn’t a new phenomenon. “Every new media and mode of expression has always been disruptive. When people moved from radio to television or from the landline to mobile phones, the world did not blink.” 

He pointed out that most of these new creative solutions are not about “selling” anymore. “While a song and dance could get the job done about a decade or two ago, the consumer is a lot sharper and more nuanced right now,” said Mukherjee.  

“He or she buys not just into the product but looks deeper into things like the brand’s philosophy. As an advertiser, one often must strike a deeper chord and ensure that these among other needs of the consumer get addressed through advertising. Shock and titillation are on their way out”, he added. 

^{Shah Rukh Khan-My-Ad was the most celebrated work in Cannes Lions 2022, impacting many lives in India, and giving store owners/small business owners a chance to rope SRK as their brand ambassador. The campaign was conceptualized by Ogilvy India.}

The birth of creative tech 

Many Indian campaigns with tech at their core swept Cannes Lions 2022. One of the most celebrated ads at the fest last year was the AI-powered Cadbury Celebrations ad that helped small businesses rope in Shah Rukh Khan as their spokesperson. It has become a gold standard in advertising for tech adoption to impact a positive change. 

Niraj Ruparel, Head of Mobile and Emerging Tech, GroupM, commented on how the ad industry has been keeping pace with technological advancements by investing in new tech, exploring new avenues and leveraging data analytics and AI to create personalised and focused marketing campaigns.  

“This has resulted in some notable campaigns, such as the Shah Rukh Khan My ad, Unfiltered History, and Sachin's memorable ad, which exhibit the potential of AI-powered tools and creative partnerships,” he said.  

Emerging tech has also been offering a plethora of opportunities to advertisers to create more personalised and engaging campaigns that resonate with customers, said Gurbaksh Singh, Chief Innovation Officer, DENTSU CREATIVE India.  

“The integration of creative tech in advertising is a natural evolution of the industry as it seeks to keep up with changing times and consumer behaviour,” he noted.  

Neeraj Bassi, Chief Growth Officer of Cheil India, highlighted the changes in the “telling” bit of storytelling. “We have technology that can animate Socrates having dialogues with Bill Gates. . We can create visuals depicting world’s billionaires in abject poverty or use a specific person’s voice to become the voice assistant on the phone. The possibilities are really endless. But what will make them really impactful is the story layer that gets added to this fabulous telling.”

Bassi cited the example of a campaign Cheil did for Samsung India, taking inspiration from the life of a patient with motor neuron disease. Tying up with Asha Ek Hope Foundation, the campaign used a mom’s voice as an AI Voice assistant to guide her daughter.  

Blending tech with creativity

According to Ruparel, embracing collaborations, investing in upskilling, leveraging data and staying agile are the four things needed to create a successful tech-driven campaign.  

Singh advises keeping the core objective of the campaign in mind. He said, “To create an impactful outcome, it's crucial to have a deep understanding of your target audience and their preferences, as well as the latest trends and innovations in the industry.” 

Using data analytics to track consumer engagement and fine-tuning campaigns in real-time can also deliver the right results, he said. “Although a campaign's success ultimately depends on the emotional connection it forges with its target audience. To produce genuinely effective advertising campaigns, it is crucial to achieve a balance between creative tech and emotional resonance,” Singh reiterated.  

^{Young Sachin Ad used deep-fake technology to give a message to the younger generation to keep pursuing their dreams. Conceptualized by VMLY&R.}

The Future of Creative-Tech 

India is inarguably at the vanguard of creative tech and the future looks even more promising. Said Ruparel, “To prepare the younger generation for this landscape, the industry should focus on cultivating a culture of innovation, encouraging creative experimentation and risk-taking to inspire new ideas and fostering growth, championing good mentorship and encouraging continuous learning with an emphasis on acquiring new skills.” 

Like most things technology, the current wave will also be replaced by something better in the years to come, said Mukherjee. “The entire approach to digital advertising is going to undergo a massive shift. We will find out soon enough if some specific job roles are going to become redundant. But, like with any new technology, the sooner one embraces it, the quicker they’re going to move ahead in the race. I have personally been researching extensively into AI and its multiple use cases. We’ve already managed to crack and execute a few campaigns for our clients. Specific tools like ChatGPT can become a strong ally in creative brainstorming and can successfully pivot ideation into unexpected directions.” 

“We are creating toolkits that will help the younger lot not just leverage new technology but use it to create far superior creative solutions than they otherwise would have”, he added on prepping the future creatives.