Embracing AI: Transforming the “unsexy” side of creativity
For years, I’ve been steeped in the hustle of creative marketing—managing increasing demand of deliverables, meeting tight deadlines, and trying to ensure brand consistency across an array of platforms. A single campaign might need to come to life in hundreds of unique placements. I’ve seen firsthand how bloated processes dampen true creativity. That’s why I’ve become such a believer in the power of AI to optimize the parts of our work that I call “the unsexy side.”
Reimagining the creative workflow
Today, brand building demands a near-constant stream of fresh ideas—plus the agility to execute them across an ever-growing “creative content supply chain.” The good news is that AI has made huge strides in helping us navigate this complexity more efficiently. Instead of letting administrative overhead swallow our time, we can harness AI for research, content adaptation, version control and more.
But it’s not just about speed; it’s about elevating the quality of our creative process. As one senior creative director and Creativity Council member, Fred Roberts, put it during a recent Council discussion:
“We’ve gone from piecing together ideas in Photoshop to using prompt-based applications. It’s blowing my mind how quickly it’s changed in the last five months.”
This transition to AI-assisted workflows frees creative minds to focus on ideation rather than tedious production tasks, giving them an instant productivity boost.
Briefing, research and ideation
One of the biggest drains on creative energy is front-end work, such as sifting through market data, writing briefs and gathering insights on consumer behaviour. AI tools can now synthesize research, saving us from late nights spent drowning in spreadsheets.
Jeremy Gayton, an agency leader and Creativity Council member, described the impact of a research tool his team is piloting:
“We are testing a platform that helps mine insights about any category, consumer, or brand. It’s proving to be an absolutely incredible tool. The quality of your input and prompts determines the value of what you get out, which brings efficiency to new business pitches and additional inspiration to creative briefings.”
By shifting away from manual data mining and focusing more on analysis, I’m seeing teams gain deeper insights in a fraction of the time—fueling bolder, more resonant ideas.
Collaboration and workflow automation
We also improve team morale as soon as we strip away clunky feedback loops. Instead of chasing down file versions or reconciling feedback from five stakeholders, creative professionals can now rely on AI-driven systems that auto-tag assets, track edits and suggest next steps.
Still, there’s a human element we can’t ignore. Charan Bhogal, Senior Director, Creative and Content Marketing with the LCBO, and Creativity Council Chair, believes formalizing AI adoption is vital:
“I’d like to see formalized adoption of AI for specific business objectives. Keeping it in a relatively contained environment helps us evaluate while minimizing risks.”
That means selecting the proper set of tools and embedding them into daily routines—so AI is consistently adding value, not just showing up as a novelty or short-term experiment.
Balancing speed with craft
Many creatives share a legitimate concern about whether using AI to accelerate production will homogenize brand voices or water down the artistry. This is where a new kind of creative intelligence comes into play. We still need strong human judgment at the helm. Automation can handle an astonishing amount of grunt work, but it can’t replicate the nuanced flair and empathy that lead to truly brilliant campaigns.
Alex Shifrin, Creativity Council member and President of LP/AD, who has integrated AI into his agency’s workflow, drew a simple but powerful analogy:
“We have a business-driven mandate, so we owe it to ourselves to use the latest tools. But a chef must still know how to make butter, even if the kitchen buys it ready-made.”
Strategy, storytelling and cultural relevance still demand a human touch.
Fostering a culture of learning
The key to harnessing AI is building a culture that treats it as an ongoing journey rather than a one-and-done software install. I’ve witnessed teams gain traction by:
- Investing in training: Teaching prompt engineering, understanding data and emphasizing ethical guidelines.
- Encouraging experimentation: Giving teams the freedom to try new AI tools on internal projects before rolling them out to clients.
- Celebrating wins and failures: Sharing success stories around streamlined workflows but also normalizing the hiccups that come with adopting new technologies.
By prioritizing both the craft of creativity and the efficiency AI brings, we can pave the way for a future where our best ideas have the time and space to flourish.
AI is no longer a futuristic concept lurking on the horizon; it’s embedded in the creative world's daily mechanics. By letting machines handle everything from routine research to repetitive production tasks, we liberate ourselves to do the genuinely human work: conceptualizing brilliant ideas that connect with audiences on a profound level.
In other words, if we can automate the messy logistics behind the scenes, we can preserve our energy and passion for what matters—creating meaningful, memorable campaigns. That’s the real promise of transforming the “unsexy” side of creativity, and I, for one, am excited to see where it takes us next.
