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“We are in the middle of a renaissance era where the future of brand experiences will be impacted by culture, tech and marketing shifts,” says Khoury, opening the Loeries Masterclass for 2022. “21st Century brands will be defined by experiences.”

“This is because agencies have more tools at their disposal, think technology, such as AI, extended reality and NFT Collectables - and this list is constantly evolving. Shifts are taking place in three months.”

Technology is a control tool for self-expression and belonging.

The elevation of human creativity

76% of consumers say their everyday lives and activities are dependent on tech, while 64% of consumers say their social lives depend on technology and 56% of consumers say their creativity depends on technology. 50% of global consumers say their happiness and well-being depend on technology.

“If we take AI, think how this technology is changing the way we interact with the world, live our lives and design experiences,” says Khoury. Therefore, he says, it’s time to explore how agencies can use AI to enhance experiences and provide utility.

“While AI tools will allow agencies to be more expansive, imaginative and experimental, but human creativity will always be needed,” he adds.

As such, AI tools will elevate - not replace - human creativity.

He quotes Ben Williams, TBWA global chief creative experience officer: “There will always be a need for and value in creative direction, the human curation and human refinement of an idea and decision making in terms of what is right for the brand we are working with.”

Pushing boundaries

“Technology tools such as AI are expanding our creative canvas and allowing for more natural interaction. It allows us to push the boundaries of what we know and gives us a greater canvas to play with,” says Khoury.

He warns that it will also cause mediocrity to rise. “When everyone can create and use the same inputs every output will look the same. So, distinctive and disruptive thinking is imperative.”

In addition, legal issues beyond existing copyright laws and a lack of ownership will need to be addressed. As a result, agencies will have to act responsibly.

“But, we must experiment, push the boundaries and share learnings. The more we play and share the more we can pioneer,” he concludes.