In the fast-changing world of advertising, brands are increasingly turning to tech-enabled, AI-driven campaigns to connect with consumers in meaningful ways. Tata Tea Gold VitaCare’s AI-powered Vitamin D campaign, launched on World Vitamin D Day, is a prime example. With over 70% of India’s population affected by Vitamin D deficiency, the brand ingeniously introduced a digital ‘Face Test’ filter to assess users’ tiredness levels, merging public health awareness with seamless e-commerce action through a click-to-buy experience.
Similarly, Dabur Chyawanprash’s ‘Pujo with Dada’ campaign brought cricket legend Sourav Ganguly into the heart of Bengali festivities using AI-generated, personalised video greetings. Users could login to a microsite, input their names, and instantly receive festive messages tailored just for them, blending heritage with innovation. And who could overlook Sunfeast Dark Fantasy’s ‘Har Dil Ki Fantasy’ featuring Shah Rukh Khan? Using generative AI, the brand allowed fans to insert themselves into ads alongside the legend himself. With a simple selfie and the hashtag #MyFantasyAdWithSRK, users could turn fantasies into social-media-worthy, personalised video ads.
These campaigns are more than gimmicks. They exemplify how digital tools can expand the boundaries of storytelling, engagement, and consumer experience. But they also bring us to a crucial question, has technology overtaken traditional, human-led creativity?
For India’s advertising industry, 2022 marked a historic year. It saw us winning an unprecedented 47 metals, with Dentsu WebChutney India being crowned ‘Agency of the Year’ at the prestigious Cannes Lions. Among the standout campaigns were Dentsu WebChutney’s ‘The Unfiltered History Tour’ and Ogilvy’s ‘Shahrukh Khan My Ad,’ epitomising the power of tech-driven creativity. This trend has only gained momentum in recent years, as evidenced by 2024’s sole gold winners: Leo Burnett’s Gatorade ‘Turf Finder’ and McCann’s ‘Dabba Savings Account,’ both rooted in technological innovation. As technology increasingly integrates with creativity, we find ourselves at a crossroads. Questioning if the industry has started to pivot entirely towards work amplified by technology, potentially sidelining the traditional essence of creativity.
In recent years, the advertising landscape has undergone significant transformation with the rise of tech-driven campaigns. We are now witnessing a new epoch marked by a surge of innovative, tech-centric wins at Cannes Lions. The digital shift has opened new avenues for engagement, prompting a wave of creative experimentation. While traditional, non-tech campaigns still have a presence, the momentum has undeniably shifted in favour of technological innovations. This trend raises a critical question: has the allure of non-tech campaigns diminished?
Idea Vs Technology
The heightened emphasis on technology and execution prompts us to reconsider the relevance of the idea itself, as it becomes ineffective without the proper outlet. While it may sound clichéd, the saying, ‘an idea can change the world’ is quite fitting. However, in today’s age, an idea without the support of technology or proper execution is virtually useless. Conversely, technology is the engine of growth, but without a compelling idea, its potential remains untapped. So, what is truly more important?
Amit Wadhwa, CEO, Dentsu Creative & Media Brands, South Asia, believes that creativity and technology are not at odds. Wadhwa, has ideated several tech-driven campaigns, including their recent ‘Motorola Deep Connect’. He says, “Going ahead, we will see more technology being used in advertising. Technology is increasingly helping us bring the experience of the brand to life in unique ways.” However, he discourages pitting them against each other, stating, “It is not like one (the idea) is against the other (the tech); they work hand in hand. What is important to remember is that all creatives, even the tech-led ones, stem from an idea. While technology enables us to bring about the idea, the idea will always be the most important.”
Echoing this sentiment, Yash Kulshresth, Co-Founder and CCO, ^atom network, says, “We do not need to treat technology as an adversary, but rather as a companion. Human creativity assorted with tech is the way to go about it.” Further explaining the importance of ‘the idea’ he states, “We have seen communications evolve from letters to phones, but regardless of the features of the medium, the message or content remains of utmost importance. The idea lies in insights and not tech; the tech is responsible for enhancing and elevating the experience, but it cannot be the idea itself.”
Stalwarts of advertising recognise the avenues involved with the growth of AI, AR, VR, and other big tech, with many big and small projects coming out. But at the same time, they believe that technology is not the strategy or the idea behind a creative, and it largely remains responsible for execution and enablement. It is the idea that comes first.
Varun Khiatani, Strategy, Talented, who has worked on Britannia’s tech-driven commercial, ‘1947% More Independence’, elucidates, “There is no tech-led idea, but tech-led executions. Every idea is first a human idea that comes from observing a truth. Technology is never the idea; it is just the execution. It’s not that technology comes first and then we think of an idea, that isn’t how anyone should look at ideas.”
While the idea prevails, the mediums keep changing with times. Therefore, industry luminaries find that pinning idea against the tech or medium is not the way to look at it. Instead, it is being said that one should make the best of the technological advancements around us. Along similar lines, Preetham Venkky, Chief Digital Officer, DDB Mudra Group, shares, “In creativity or innovation, technology is either the brush or the canvas but not the idea itself. Technology is a lever for an idea, you can’t and shouldn’t take the human element out of the equation. It’s the human + the technology that makes it great.”
It is claimed that while technology transforms our beloved ad world, humans remain at the centre of creativity. Furthermore, field experts believe that empathy and emotions will continue to be the key drivers in the ad space, even if they are expressed using technology. The key lies in active listening and understanding. Putting forward his insights on the matter, Josy Paul, Chairman & CCO, BBDO, shares, “We say AI is listening, our devices are listening. But what about humans? Are we listening? Some of our best ideas have started that way. A lot of the work we do comes from our own stories. We believe that creativity has the power to create meaningful action when it starts with deep listening and high empathy. Creativity that comes from confessions, stories, and epiphanies. There was a time we used to say, creativity is about connections. It still holds, but it evolves. So now I say - Creativity is sensitivity in a world where no one is listening.”
Performance at Cannes Lions
While the general consensus among ad landers places technology as an enabler and the insight as the idea, the increasing use of technology in creative work is raising doubts about the relevance of non-tech campaigns in today’s landscape. There’s a lot of chatter about how these non-tech creatives will fare at Cannes in the coming years. Industry experts, however, find that despite the recent surge in tech-driven campaigns which drive a lot of allure, non-tech initiatives have not yet lost their prominence.
Sharing his observations, Anadi Sah, NCD, CIO, and Founding Member, tgthr, who has worked on several tech-led campaigns such as Vedantu’s ‘The Everything Book’, states, “Humans have had the fastest evolution in the recent past, all led through digital technology, so it’s natural for everyone to be amazed by tech-driven campaigns that might stand out from the rest.” While such campaigns could grab the spotlight at award shows, capturing the attention of jurors and audiences, Sah explains that creativity still remains crucial highlighting that, “The success of any campaign with or without technology will ultimately depend on its creativity, cultural relevance, and real-world impact. I am certain that the same metric and logic shall apply to all entries in the award season.”
On similar lines, Rohan Kumar, Group Creative Director, VML, who partnered with Neeman’s for their tech-led ‘Are Those Neeman’s Shoes Phone Hack’ campaign, comments, “At Cannes, we are witnessing a shift towards celebrating campaigns that demonstrate not only creative excellence but also technological innovation and effectiveness. However, it’s important to note that the success of a campaign at Cannes Lions ultimately boils down to its ability to captivate and resonate with the jury and the audience. Whether tech-driven or non-tech-based, what truly matters is the strength of the idea and the impact it has on driving meaningful connections with the audience.”
Independent vs. Network Agencies
The proliferation of tech-driven campaigns goes on to prove the fervour in favour of innovative executions. We know that it is not always cost-effective or easy to incorporate the latest technology, which makes us wonder if tech-driven initiatives are a bastion of larger networks and not something deployed by smaller independent agencies. Answering this question, Sah explains, “While the network agencies may have more resources at their disposal both financially and intellectually to experiment with the latest technologies, the independent agencies are also embracing newer technologies to drive innovative solutions. Today, access to technology and talent is so open that an agency’s size doesn’t matter in bringing any tech-led idea to life. The only thing that varies is the agency’s approach and client commitment.”
At this time, technology has become ever more pervasive, because it follows a hype cycle. While tech innovations continue to dominate global headlines, experts point out that just as many impactful, tech-driven ideas are being developed and executed quietly by networks and smaller, independent or boutique agencies.
Biggest Markets for Tech-led Ads
As access to technology and AI continues to expand and innovation accelerates, there is a more widespread adoption of tech-driven communications across the globe. It is being said that technologically advanced markets have a higher adoption of tech-driven communication. Industry professionals like Venkky argue that markets with greater than 65% (2/3rds) internet and smartphone adoption tend to lead with such campaigns, as most tech-driven campaigns need the internet and the audience to be digitally mature.
Talking about the biggest markets in this space, Sah says, “Markets such as the United States, China, Japan, and parts of Europe are regions witnessing a proliferation of tech-driven campaigns due to a robust tech infrastructure and digitally matured consumer base. Besides this, the stable data connectivity across regions makes them a fertile ground for innovation in advertising and tech-led creativity.”
In addition to these big markets, industry experts are propounding that there are several other countries, where the magic of tech-led campaigns is spreading. Even more amazing is that tech is revolutionising these markets by enabling faster cultural engagement and conversations. On this note, Khiatani declares, “Brazil, Argentina, Singapore and Thailand are some of the markets doing well in this area. Tech outpaces traditional media in rapidly engaging cultures and conversations, offering a higher ROI with lower costs. In these markets, widespread access to technology, like ubiquitous Android phones, enables faster and easier distribution of campaigns to large populations. This makes interaction with tech-driven campaigns more efficient and effective when compared to traditional methods.”
It is important to remember that while incorporating tech into the initiatives can fetch good results, it can’t be just about the technology itself. Experts also state that the process of creation starts with an observation. And regardless if it’s tech based or not, the final goal remains to solve the business problem.
Elaborating on this, Sarvesh Raikar, President (Creative), Lowe Lintas, voices, “You put all the tech into an ad and it will not survive without an idea. I feel we are all going through a mass FOMO era. Many conversations today start with ‘Let’s do something with AI!’ This can never be a starting point. It has to start with a business problem and then use tech to solve it if needed. Many brilliant campaigns this year have great tech and an equal number have no tech. What is common between both – great ideas!”
It is being observed that with each passing minute, our reliance on technology and artificial intelligence is increasing. While at this moment, we have a good number of non-tech campaigns coming out, some experts believe that going ahead the focus will completely shift to tech-driven communications. Kartik Smetacek, Chief Creative Officer, Saatchi & Saatchi India, states, “While overall the world is moving towards tech-driven communication, the speed of adoption varies from region to region. But considering the efficiency, scale and impact technology can deliver, it’s only a matter of time before most campaigns are tech-driven.”
While the allure of technology in advertising is undeniable, it is the synergy between human creativity and technological execution that drives impactful campaigns. The essence of a compelling advertisement lies in its core idea, enriched and amplified by technology. As the landscape evolves further, tech-driven initiatives might take over, but again, they will be drawing in water from the well of human insight to forge meaningful connections. Ultimately, the power of advertising rests on the strength of its ideas and their ability to resonate with audiences. The magic of technology enhances this process, but it is the human touch that gives it life.
