The Insight
Percipient thought-pieces and opinions from some
of
the world’s most respected industry leaders.
)
When brands try to play in the world of fandom they can often get it wrong, but not IKEA, says Cat Botibol, Managing Director at Studio Secret Cinema, who thinks the furniture brand's foray into Skyrim is a perfect example of playfulness and intelligence.
Nike & Mbappé: Visibility versus distinctiveness
Nike can claim to dominate sports branding with former athletes like Michael Jordan and Wayne Rooney and current stars such as Erling Haaland and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce all brand ambassadors, but, asks Sam Pittman, Creative Director at Butterfly Cannon, with Kylian Mbappé leaving Nike for relative athletic wear upstart On, are times changing, and is visibility as powerful as distinctiveness?
Filming reality in an age of fake feelings
After two decades in advertising, filmmaker Christopher Theodore moved into documentary. Here he explores the uneasy relationship between unscripted and fiction and what it means to claim an image is real in an age when almost anything, including emotions, can be fabricated.
Why live action is not our only tool for truth telling
Tabitha Onofri, Head of Studio at FIN Studios, argues that, when used thoughtfully and intentionally, AI can enhance and enliven stories without compromising authenticity, particularly when time or budget constraints would otherwise limit creative ambition.
Can AI-generated food really get the tastebuds tingling?
Olaf van Gerwen, Founder & Global Creative Director at Chuck Studios, finds that AI-generated food may be everywhere, but our finely tuned appetite for the real thing means even the smallest synthetic slip-up can leave a bad taste.
How an agentic AI course changed my mind about AI adoption
Rather than seeing artificial intelligence as a threat to her job, FIN Studios Head of Studio, Tabitha Onofri, chose to understand it. Now, she believes it can be a huge benefit to the role she - and others - have; you just have to know where to start.
How the next era of documentaries will bring audiences inside the story
Jay Allen, Emmy-nominated producer and VP of Unscripted at SunnyBoy Entertainment, discusses the evolution of unscripted storytelling and why audiences are gravitating toward immersive nonfiction experiences and behind-the-scenes style content.
Greenhushing or greenshouting: How to market the message of climate catastrophe
As we face up to the alarming realities of climate change, Tracey Lee, Strategic Advisor to Creatives for Climate, answers questions about how the ad industry can put its influence to good use by creating awareness and change without causing panic.
The best brand characters have strings attached
Drawing on her experience creating a brand spokespuppet, Eli Vasiliou, Creative Director at Thinkingbox London, explores why puppets make such memorable advertising characters, and how physical craft, human performance and a little unpredictability give them particular appeal in an age of AI-generated perfection.