There's been so much hype around AI in 2023. While I’ll eagerly keep an eye on what's going on tech-wise, I hope that this coming year is an opportunity for us to consider the wider context of what we're doing. Is what we’re putting out there culturally relevant? Is it making real people connect with the brand, is it getting them talking and advocating?

We’ll all be using AI soon enough. A recent survey by It’s Nice That stated that 83% of creatives are already using machine learning tools in some way or another. And as we see it being embedded into many of the apps we use every day, we won’t be able to get away from it. Considering this, how can we ensure that we’re not just churning out the same kind of ideas that ChatGPT will give us in seconds?

Culture.

I’m not just referring to what Gen Z, or Gen Alpha are interested in. No matter who we are, culture is what connects us. Our strongest bonds are often when we know not everyone has an understanding or passion for the same things as us and we gravitate to those that do. Identifying the niches, sub-cultures and fandoms that exist can help us to produce creative that truly resonates with the people we’re trying to connect with. And if you’re swayed by what the Cannes judges deem important, cultural context will now be a compulsory element for every category.

It's also one of the reasons branded social feeds have been filled with creator-led content more recently. Whilst I acknowledge it’s also to do with the platforms prioritising creators, these are people often embedded into a culture, whether it’s their specialism, background or even the culture around what it means to be social-first.

For instance, on Pancake Day we worked with Romany Henry (a.k.a @Dudu_Eats), on behalf of NEFF. The collab resulted in a massive 15.6m views and 1m likes. Beyond posting a standard pancake recipe or asking the audience what topping they prefer as so many brands would be, we tapped into something more niche – the Japanese pancake trend. This was the perfect sweet spot for what was happening on social at that moment, as well tapping into the fact that the NEFF audience love more unique takes on the familiar. Not only did we harness the trend, but working with a creator from a Japanese background ensured the content was authentic.

2024 will be an important time to form closer trusted relationships with creators, embedding them into creative teams, while also ensuring our creative teams can think like creators. At the agency, we’ve ensured all our junior creatives are not only involved in ideation but they’re able to be hands on – shooting, editing, and getting amongst it. I don’t believe future creative careers will be as formulaic as they’ve been in the past, I’d encourage juniors to partake in everything from insight to production, not only because it can lead to better ideas but because the future of the creative department is evolving. Not convinced? Tom Emmerson’s achievements and ambition are a great example.

Collaborations aren’t just relevant for those that we refer to as creators – our recent collab with British rapper, Raxstar for Elephant Atta meant that we were able to add a more nuanced take on our original creative and it is nuance that can really help brands convert audiences to advocates – you’re not just targeting me, you get me.

2024 is an opportunity to get even more granular with communities, that means involving them in the creative process, exposing creative teams to what it really means to be part of a culture and empowering them to spend time embedding themselves into a culture. It’s also worth noting that culture doesn’t just have to be what already exists, it can also be what we put out there, so however we’re doing it lets dive into the world of the people we’re trying to connect with. If you’re not sure where to start, it’s all around us, embrace the things you already love and the things that you’d never think about experiencing – the opera, the bingo, Roblox. I really enjoyed this piece from Matt Waksman and although the headline implies it’s for planners, I think it’s relevant for everyone.

Our work with Rajah Spices celebrated the feeling of what it’s like to be 100% British and 100% South Asian. Being South Asian myself, I hadn’t seen another brand really address South Asians in this way, celebrating real people beyond stereotypes. For any brand trying to address a niche audience, putting real experiences at the heart of an idea can help the work resonate.

Real experiences don’t just have to be about putting real people in an ad or piece of content, ideally it can also mean having a team which is representative of the culture you’re trying to connect with. Having a diverse creative team goes without saying, however I’d also look to the entire production process to involve relevant talent where you can. For the Rajah campaign we worked with South Asian photographers Amit and Naroop and music producer Aman Hayer.

Looking forward to 2024, there’s been much talk about how we need to embrace more fun in creative work, and the recent news of Cannes launching a humour category makes it a more interesting task. Humour doesn’t always travel well. It’s subjective depending on who has written it, who is exposed to it and ultimately for Cannes, who is judging it.

Digging deeper into our communities, thinking about people as opposed to audiences, knowing what brings a smile to their face and what makes them laugh amongst themselves is a real opportunity for creative to really hit the mark. I don’t believe there’s just one way to do this, but I do think a combination of collaboration, diverse teams and reconsidering what it means to be a creative at an agency today are all up for grabs.