Rebecca Rowntree

"Is creativity stifled in corporate corridors? Jony Ive thinks it's 'unpredictable.'    T&P's CSO, Oliver Egan, shares how we unlock 'unprecedented creative potential' by blending diverse human talent with AI.   Read his take in the following Creative Salon Worldwide article: https://lnkd.in/e2ZPnJxu   #TandP #PowerOfAnd #Innovation #AIinCreativity #AgencyInsights 

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Creatives need to step away from the desk and touch grass. That was the theme for an excellent piece by PlusNarrative’s own Binwe Adebayo, MA Adebayo, and it’s something I’ve taken to heart. I’ve always enjoyed getting outside and away from the office, but it’s good to be reminded why it’s so mentally powerful. According to Nielsen, adults are now spending over 11 hours a day on screens, an increase of roughly 9 hours compared to just four years ago. That has an effect on how we think and feel. I can personally feel it when I’ve been pouring over my laptop for a long stretch of time: it numbs my brain. My thinking becomes slower, more foggy. Like everything is covered in syrup. Ideas just don’t form the way I want them to. For creative work, that cannot be the default process. If every brief sends us straight to the desktop to look at the same sites and the same references, we’re not creating. We’re just generating ideas that already exist. It’s the equivalent of mental recycling. Binwe makes a vital point: meaningful cultural work can’t be done entirely from behind glass and pixels. It requires proximity to real life. That includes all the messiness and contradictions that make everything so complex. I’m not saying technology is bad, but I do believe it can become unbalanced. I’m putting more effort into closing my laptop and heading outside when I need to think. The video below is a clip of a recent run I took in Hogsback (the joys of remote work!). Touch grass today. It will show in your work and your mindset later.

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Ivan Mato is Elmwood Brand & Design Consultancy's head of creative technology. He has been leading the way in leveraging AI tools and platforms to do everything from generate stable diffusion models of brand icons, to prompt based brand governance tools. And from AI generated pasta meal photography, to motion graphics and video content. He was approached by the BBC News to talk about the future of AI generated ads take a look at the fascinating article below "AI opens new creative possibilities, but the real strategic question isn't whether brands can personalize everything - it's whether they should, and what they risk losing if they do."

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How marketers are creating systems that think for them 👇 Savvy creatives are - developing 'projects' to generate copy and ideas in specific voices and with actual context by loading in brand guides and existing writing - using Claude's web search to identify industry news, brands to watch, and campaigns to reference - using Claude's new Gmail and Docs integrations to run lightweight CRMs and organize workflows My latest (made for Anthropic on Instagram)

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A few years ago BBC Studios asked me to run a series of webinars on building pitch decks for film and TV for their drama department. We put everything from those sessions, plus more into The Greenlight Method - an eBook guide, workbook, Canva template (along with an accompanying short video on how to use the template) on how to build and structure an effective pitch deck for film and TV. If you're pitching a project in the near future or want to be prepared for Cannes this year, might be useful. https://lnkd.in/eXY38TJh

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Wow. What. A. Conversation Yesterday, I wrapped up an energising, wonderful, and thought-provoking session at Button with Torrey Podmajersky, Andrew Stein, and Kiran Mascarenhas, Ph.D., on the evolving role of the content designer. Together we explored the tension, curiosity, and optimism shaping content design today — from AI ethics and evolving guidelines, to the rise of new power dynamics between practitioners, technologists, and organisations. Here's what stood out most for me: ➡️ Content design has never been more strategic. We’re not just writing. We’re shaping systems, frameworks, and trust in an AI-driven world. ➡️ AI isn’t the threat; it’s the catalyst. The opportunity is to collaborate with it, not compete against it. Make the AI your intern. Not your imposter. ➡️ The future belongs to content designers who can connect ethics, empathy, and experimentation. Those who can translate complexity into clarity. We don’t have all the answers (none of us do), but the conversation is shifting. The days of content being the last step in the process are ending. As Andrew said, "We are no longer waiting for a seat at the table. People are coming to sit at our table. In fact, we are the table." In five years from now, I believe as content designers we’ll be higher up (yes, I’m optimistic, but that’s just me) — influencing strategy, shaping language models, and leading on principles that protect accuracy, privacy, and people. As tech evolves, one thing will always remain: Accurate, useful, human content still powers everything. More reflections coming soon. But if you joined the panel discussion, what were your thoughts #Button2025 #Button #ContentDesign  #Leadership  #AI

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Nick Garrett’s job is to turn “disjointed jigsaw puzzle” into “a masterpiece”. Omnicom Oceania’s CEO digs into each creative agency, argues adland’s disdain for consultancies is “a little bit ridiculous,” and says ex-network indie founders should be “absolutely applauded” in a wide-ranging interview with Brittney Rigby. "My job here, big picture, is to redesign the model and transform us to be ready for the next 10 years. I hope by doing so, we're going to do work that defines our market and the world." Read here: https://lnkd.in/dtenpWVf

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I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again…creative agencies should be structured more like a band. It’s a win-win for clients and the agency. As we watch the continual unravelling of the old agency system, and the eventual end of the holding companies relevance, new models are essential. Something structured more like a band just makes sense. Nimble.  Streamlined.  And the people on stage are the ones who make something happen. A band is made up of, on average, around four people plus the off-stage member - the manager. The band members each have a different responsibility for making the music happen and the manager makes sure they get paid. Translate that into a micro-agency model and you’ve got maybe two creatives, a strategist, a producer, and a business director. Plus, with an micro-agency, some of those could even be fractional roles. Bands don’t sit around in an office all day, they create from places and spaces that inspire them. The same can easily happen with a micro-agency. Bands bring in the additional talent and resources when needed. They bring in a Producer to help them make something new, think the likes of Rick Rubin, Brian Eno, Flood (Mark Ellis), and many others. They hire people for tours, hire recording studios, hire additional musicians if needed. But at the core, it’s just a handful of people. This can all work for micro-agencies. I also feel that the micro-agency model allows for more creative freedom and for the creatives to also be the creators for some of the work and to collaborate closer to independent creators such as content creators, video directors, photographers, music composers and more - remove unnecessary layers and work like a small creative unit. Considering the speed required today and the tightening budgets, being more hands on with a smaller crew of people just makes sense. Design agencies got it right, they have a smart and more flat model than traditional ad agencies. I discovered this when I became the ECD of a design and branding agency and then did some consulting for other design agencies after that. So, in my opinion, more creative founders should think more like a band if they want to start a micro-agency. And I have a feeling that more clients would appreciate having a tighter team that they can work closely with. “The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side.” - Hunter S. Thompson …  Aside from missing my music days and running my own creative ventures, I also coach Creative Directors, Creative Founders, and those considering a creative career pivot. Oh, and you can still join The 100 CLUB. DM me or drop me an email at chantcreative@gmail.com  … ®️©️ 🤘 ⚡  … Beastie Boys 👇

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Creative UK's Head of Policy, Amy Tarr, addresses critical questions about finance in the Creative Industries in a new Q&A in the 3rd volume of the Creative Enterprise (Creative UK) Female Founders magazine. This research, from an earlier Creative UK publication, Unleashing Creativity: Fixing the Finance Gap in the Creative Industries, reveals: ➖ 48% of creative businesses identify access to finance as a key barrier. ➖ Creative SMEs are over 4x more likely than other SMEs to face finance challenges. ➖ Female founders face an even tougher funding landscape due to investor bias and sector misconceptions. Amy says: “Creative businesses are ambitious and driven, but they often find their value misunderstood by investors. It’s time we tailored finance solutions that match their unique business models and growth potential.” Our call to government? Launch Creative Economy Capital, a new strategic framework to make funding accessible, transparent, and responsive to creative sector needs. Read the full Q&A with Amy in Female Founders Magazine Volume 3, link in the top comment 🔗 #CreativeIndustries #FemaleFounders #AccessToFinance #CreativeEconomy #PolicyChange #CreativeUK

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WHAT IF WE ARE IN AN AI BUBBLE AND IT SUDDENLY BURSTS? Really interesting conversation on Channel 4 (link in comments) with Gerry Caplan about the reality of the AI Market and it’s parallels with the Dot Com bubble. Yes this is all speculation but several economic factors are undeniably similar and the likelihood of AI companies imploding are becoming very real. So why does this mean for Generative Ai vs Illustrators? If the AI bubble bursts, illustration could see a short downturn followed by a reset in value. When the hype fades, brands will crave trust, ownership clarity, and the human touch again: all things automation can’t offer. This won’t be a return to the past, but a shift toward fewer, better, more human images. So what us Illustrators need to do: • Sharpen your visual voice, not your prompts. • Emphasise authorship, narrative, and reliability. • Position your work as premium, IP safe, and enduring. • Build direct, trust based relationships with clients If you are reading this then you are the Resistance. Authenticity will outlast automation.

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