Ad New Year is that brief moment after The Loeries when the industry resets after a busy award season and looks forward to new work. In this episode, we look back on the past year and on tackling new challenges. This episode features guest host Fran Luckin, CCO at VML, along with Jacquie Mullany, ECD at FCB Africa, and Saf Sindhi, CCO and co-founder of the new independent agency Bananas. This episode centres on the importance of fostering a positive work culture, navigating the impact of AI on the advertising industry, and maintaining creativity in award-winning work. The conversation also highlights personal experiences from the past year, including challenges, strategies for motivation and innovation, the rise of independent agencies, changing criteria for creative judging, and the role of joy and humour in creative projects. In this episode: 00:00 Introduction and Setting the Scene 00:53 Welcome to the Podcast 01:53 Reflecting on the Year in Advertising 03:36 Challenges of Starting an Independent Agency 07:19 The Role of Awards in the Creative Industry 08:57 Navigating Trends and Originality in Advertising 12:19 The Impact of AI on Craft and Creativity 16:37 Motivating Creative Teams 20:37 Finding Fun in Advertising 21:26 Embracing Mischief and Meaning 22:26 The AI Dilemma in Advertising 26:39 Balancing Craft and Technology 33:38 South African Creativity and Unity 37:14 Hope for the Future of Creativity 39:29 Encouraging Young Talent 41:16 Conclusion