What’s Next for Creativity: My Top Five for 2025

What will creativity look like in 2025? Social platforms are in chaos, technology is moving faster every day, and the future of work is being written right now. The creative world is turbulent and unpredictable, but equally inspiring and thrilling. These are predictions for where I think creativity is heading in 2025, but also actionable takeaways for brand and agency leaders to navigate what's next. Ready? Let's go

1. Social Platform Chaos Will Reshape Strategy

This will be the most unpredictable and unique year in social media we’ve seen. For brands and creators alike, the chaos presents huge challenges—and massive opportunities. Buckle up.

Observations: The volatility we’re seeing on platforms like X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, and Meta’s ecosystem is unprecedented. Political entanglements, regulatory battles, and safety concerns are forcing brands to ask hard questions: Should we still be here? Can we trust these platforms? What responsibility do they have to ensure safety and truth?

Content saturation is drowning out creativity as algorithms increasingly serve copycat content. Brands can counteract this by prioritizing bravely unique storytelling built on cultural insight. For example, we’ll see more quirky campaigns like the latest from GDK (source: Adage) and we’ll see more brands using humor, like Monday.com’s llamas singing Rihanna (source: The Drum). The rise of AI-generated content and bots, coupled with deregulation, risks making social platforms overwhelming and uninteresting. The fight for relevance will come down to this: Originality will reign supreme. Brands and creators that push boundaries with authentic, creative storytelling will win.

Prediction: Secondary platforms like LinkedIn, Reddit, and Pinterest will see explosive growth, particularly for B2B brands. Alt platforms like BlueSky and Discord will also capitalize on user frustration and the demand for change.

Key Takeaway: It’s time to reevaluate your social strategy. Diversify where you invest time and money, and focus on platforms that align with your audience’s trust and values.

2. AI Agents Will Reshape Work—and Create Big Questions

You get an agent! You get an agent! Everyone's got an agent! All of the biggest platforms are developing AI agents, and even if you didn't hear much about this in 2024, you won't miss people talking about it in 2025.

Salesforce, Microsoft, IBM, and ServiceNow will dominate the enterprise, driving unprecedented productivity and profits. They’ll likely reshape entire departments and job descriptions in the process. But they’ll also prompt existential questions: “What do I do with all this extra time?” “What can only humans do?”

One word for my Apple AI experience so far? Underwhelming. What happened to the company that brought us Siri? Apple needs to do some soul searching and reconnect with their spirit of innovation because so far, their entry into the AI race feels like novelty and pandering. They should be leading this movement and putting agents in the hands of 1.3 billion iPhone users worldwide.?

Which brand will bring Agentic AI to the masses? Google. The technology is good, Google’s ecosystem is strong, and they even do the best job advertising about the human benefit of AI. However, too fast could lead to stumbles and challenges managing their sprawling brand experience.

OpenAI’s agent technology, Operator, debuted yesterday, and so far… wow. There’s a reason Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella has said recently he believes agents as a service (AaaS) could entirely replace the SaaS market eventually. OpenAI is my bet for dark horse among these consumer players. With over 180M monthly active ChatGPT users, they’re most likely to deliver the most advanced, consumer-friendly AI yet.

Prediction: Agents will be weird, wild, and surreal, but also hopefully feel like a natural extension of our brain. Like superpowers we wish we had. Hot take - this change will be messy before it’s magical. Expect backlash, job losses, and a deeper focus on what makes us human.

Key Takeaway: Leaders need to prepare teams for the opportunities and existential questions this shift brings. At the end of the day, AI agents will only be as effective as the people directing them.

3. Welcome to Mergerworld in Adland

Massive mergers, consolidations, and new models will disrupt the creative industry like never before. For independent agencies and brave new leaders, this can be a new golden age for agencies.

Observations: The IPG/Omnicom merger and others will reshape the landscape, likely leading to layoffs, client churn, and the disappearance of iconic agency brands. We’ve already seen more of this with the merging of Publicis and Leo Burnett to Leo. More is on the horizon. Similarly, the WPP merger of Grey and AKQA led to internal restructuring and an exodus of exec talent (source: AdAge).

Independents will win if they stay nimble, snag the best talent from the fallout, and invest in BOTH human creativity and technology. Brands will be stuck in the middle of this push and pull. AI will mean more capability at the hands of in-house teams, but without the right leadership and roles, in-house teams will be relegated to overseeing production at scale.

Prediction: New entrants and creative models will emerge. Hybrid agencies that balance human ingenuity with cutting-edge tech will lead the pack.

Key Takeaway: Brave ideas, big dreams, and bold leadership will win in 2025. Embrace change, don’t be afraid to trust your gut, and invest in talent/tech to stay ahead.

4. Work Will Adapt to Creativity, Not the Other Way Around

This year amidst big companies and agencies mandating RTW (Return to Work), the voices of reason will admit there isn’t a formula or solution for in-person/remote/hybrid, there’s just what works for each company, each team, and each type of work.

Observations: In-person collaboration still matters for creative collaboration, pitching, and building strong team relationships. Maybe even more importantly, junior talent is missing out on a big part of the creative experience. Greg Hahn, co-founder and CCO of Mischief @ No Fixed Address told AdAge, “It's really hard for juniors to start out in a different city and try to do it all remotely. There’s so much you have to learn about just what it takes to go through production or to present to a client or to get stuff ready. People who started out of college in the lockdown were at a disadvantage.”

That said, we’re getting better every year at making work in a remote-only or hybrid culture. Shifting an entire industry takes time, and the world of work is learning. Every year, new tools and processes bring about new ways of creating effective virtual connections and collaboration. My recommendation for your team: try to keep it simple, make a small amount of systems easy to adopt, and over-communicate.?

Connection and wellness will be critical. Loneliness is rising (the US surgeon general published an advisory report), and with more screen time and technological advancements, companies must prioritize human connection.

Prediction: Despite many institutions pulling back from diversity efforts, I firmly believe diverse teams make for better creative culture and better creative work. Companies that champion diversity will outpace their competitors.

Key Takeaway: Creativity thrives in environments that prioritize connection, balance, and diversity. Build a culture that prioritizes these values.

5. GenAI Will Take A Giant Leap Forward

Generative AI will continue to transform creative production and force us to evolve how we create.

Indistinguishable AI content: In 2025, GenAI photo and video will reach a level where, in some cases, it’s indistinguishable from the real thing. Platforms like Runway’s Gen-2 and Google’s yet-to-be-released Veo 2 have already demonstrated AI-generated videos with cinematic quality, setting a new standard for what’s possible (source: Variety). Traditional production companies must adapt or risk irrelevance.

New creative-led models: We’ll see a rise in hybrid production companies that seamlessly integrate AI with human creativity, offering the best of both worlds.

Consolidation vs. fragmentation: GenAI tools will consolidate core features into leading platforms while niche tools will serve specific, high-value use cases. Think of it as a David vs. Goliath dynamic.

Key Takeaway: The real winners will leverage GenAI as a tool, not a crutch. Original ideas and human creativity will always stand out.

BONUS: We’re Living Through a Design Renaissance

Designers are at the forefront of shaping how we interact with AI, and the opportunities for design have never been greater. Automation and scale will free up time for deeper thinking, experimentation, and collaboration. For example, Figma’s AI-powered design tools allow teams to rapidly prototype and test concepts, while Adobe’s Sensei AI streamlines repetitive tasks, freeing designers to focus on ideation (source: Adobe). We’re entering a golden age for design where technology empowers, rather than replaces, human creativity.

What are your predictions for 2025? Let’s keep the conversation going in the comments. I’d love to hear your thoughts!