Signals

Wave 1: Creativity Over Scale

2025 is shaping up to be a year of extremes: big mergers, bigger tech, and tools that promise to do everything except spark an original idea. At the center of it all? Creativity. It’s the one thing that can’t be automated, templated, or scaled. It’s the edge. And it’s where we’ll be living this year.

Here’s what’s catching our eye going into 2025:

The Mega Merger Nobody Asked For (But Everyone’s Watching)

Two powerhouses combine forces to form the largest advertising agency in the world. Towards the end of 2024, Omnicom announced that it will buy rival Interpublic Group in a deal worth $13.25 billion.

Agencies are scrambling to be at the forefront of the AI boom to attract clients and combat big tech companies. Omnicom is already using generative AI and aims to bolster its offerings with the merger.

Will their creativity scale with their size? Or does true innovation thrive in smaller, more agile setups? Time will tell, but in the meantime, we’ll be over here.

WNBA’s Slam Dunk Year

The WNBA’s record-breaking year—soaring viewership, fresh sponsors, and fan loyalty—landed it at the top of Morning Consult’s Fastest Growing Brands report. The only sports league on the list, it outpaced giants in AI, streaming, and food, proving that authentic storytelling and bold branding can drive growth.

The Highlights:

No. 1 overall: a 3.82% rise in consumer consideration.
4th among men: (+5.03%) showing cross-demographic appeal.
Top 10 for boomers and 16th for Gen X: underscoring generational reach.

The takeaway? Creativity doesn’t just resonate—it redefines that audience you thought you knew.

Thinking Small: The Future of Creativity

Tom Roach’s article, Big Advertising Needs to Think Small, is one of our favorite reads heading into 2025. It captures a shift we’ve not only noticed but experienced firsthand as a smaller, more agile agency operating in today’s fragmented creative landscape.

Roach argues that the age of Big Advertising—dominated by massive budgets and iconic campaigns—is fading. Creativity now thrives in smaller, targeted efforts like influencer collaborations, in-feed activations, and democratized tools like GenAI.

Why It Resonates:

Smaller is Smarter: Roach highlights that big results are now born from nimble, creative ideas, a sentiment we see echoed in our own work.
Creativity for All: Tools and platforms are leveling the playing field, empowering brands to connect in fresh, meaningful ways.
Adapt or Fade: Roach’s call to agencies to embrace this evolution aligns with our own commitment to staying flexible, innovative, and collaborative.

For those ready to think small and act boldly, this is a must-read. Creativity’s future is here—and it’s made up of a thousand small, impactful moves.

Meta’s Fact-Checking Shake-Up

Meta’s move to replace fact-checkers with a crowdsourced system and boost political content creates new challenges (and opportunities) for brands and creatives alike. Here’s our take.

What It Means:

Brand Safety Risks: Without fact-checkers, ads face a greater chance of appearing next to divisive content. Protecting brand integrity is now more critical than ever.
Community-Driven Narratives: Crowdsourced moderation empowers users but invites unpredictability. Brands must prepare for shifting conversations and potential bias.
A New Creative Landscape: Decentralized influence means smaller, authentic campaigns can thrive, but only with sharp, audience-aware strategies.

Our Advice:

Stay purposeful. Align your messaging with your values to stand out in a chaotic environment.
Prioritize context. Focus on smarter ad placements to safeguard brand reputation.
Lead with creativity. Bold, authentic storytelling is your competitive edge.

Meta’s shift reminds us that creativity is more than a tool. It’s the foundation for navigating an ever-evolving and increasingly volatile digital world.