IPA chief: 'Creativity isn't a nice to have. It's all we have'

New IPA president and BBH chief executive Karen Martin has issued a rallying cry to the industry to put “human creativity” back at the core of the business – ditching short-term thinking and the over-reliance on AI – hailing the discipline as crucial to corporate success, the economy and British culture.

Martin set out the agenda for her two-year presidency in an address to industry leaders and IPA members, followed by a live Q&A, reflecting on “the pivotal role creativity plays in future-proofing the industry like nothing else can”.

With the creative sector supporting 4 million jobs across the UK and contributing an essential £40bn to the economy, Martin emphasised in her address that “creativity, when applied to big business problems, drives big business impacts”.

The industry has, however, lost focus, according to Martin: “We’ve got lost in short termism, AI, mega mergers, budget pressures and regulatory constraints.”

She also cited recent industry insights from the BetterBriefs’ report, produced in partnership with the IPA and WFA, which highlighted that inefficiencies in processes, poor feedback, and weak briefs are undermining the potential for creative excellence.

Trailing her address, Martin took to the streets of Soho in homage to the iconic Johnnie Walker advert ‘The Man Who Walked The World’. The short film, created by BBH London and Creators Inc and directed by Jamie Rafn, featured cameos with creative leaders from across the industry including Sir John Hegarty, Nick Gill, Shelley Smoler, Rick Brim, Felipe Serradourada Guimaraes, Lynsey Atkin, Ana Balarin, Hermeti Balarin, Nils Leonard, Selma Ahmed, Genevieve Gransden, Jules Chalkley, Ant Nelson, Mark Elwood, Noel Bunting and Alex Grieve.

As part of the mission to reignite creativity, Martin unveiled a four-pronged approach to celebrate, train, attract and reward creative minds across the industry:

Celebrating human creativity
Martin announced that the IPA will bring creative directors onto its Council Board, ensuring that those who fuel the industry’s growth and drive its success have a seat at the table.

The new president also called for a renewed focus on celebrating human creativity, urging the industry to balance the incredible potential of AI with the irreplaceable value of human-driven creative thinking. “AI has the incredible potential to augment, to scale and to personalise. But we should always ask the question: Should we be using it to create where a human hand could have done the same?”

Training the next generation of creatives
Recognising the need for world-class training for creatives, Martin revealed the professional body will be launching the IPA Creative Essentials Certificate. This new programme will provide emerging talent with the tools and insights to succeed in the industry.

Additionally, bespoke training will be introduced to help creatives better evaluate ideas, provide constructive feedback, and protect creative concepts from inception through execution.

Attracting more diverse creative talent
Martin also announced plans to expand Barn, launched by BBH in 2021 – the first and only ad school based inside an agency and now – arguably – one of the most successful creative advertising courses in the country.

Barn offers an accessible route into the industry for students from different backgrounds, paying them the London Living Wage and helping to break down barriers and open doors to underrepresented talent. Over the next two years, the programme will increase its intake of students and collaborate with more partner agencies to ensure the industry reflects a broader range of voices and perspectives.

Rewarding creative excellence
Finally, Martin will introduce a new Creative Award as part of the IPA Effectiveness Awards, which will recognise the vital role of creativity in driving business success and celebrate the people behind the work that delivers tangible results.

Martin is seen as one of the industry’s most progressive and dynamic leaders and has been CEO of BBH for nearly five years, having joined the agency in 2016 as a managing partner. In 2023, she led the agency to achieve its strongest revenue growth in eight years, further diversifying across specialisms including health, brand transformation, design and production and entering one of its most commercially and creatively successful periods.

Before BBH, she spent 14 years in Australia’s ad industry. She was managing director of Host Sydney where she ran the agency’s largest account, Bankwest, and won and ran Pizza Hut and Lion Beverages.

Martin wrapped up her address by urging all IPA members to take ownership of creativity within their roles. “This is about everyone who touches creative. From media to research to strategy and production. It may not be in everyone’s job description, but it’s certainly everyone’s responsibility.”

Martin also called on the industry to embrace its power and influence, with a renewed focus on influencing a more sustainable future and taking pride in the value it can contribute.

“Over the next two years, I will be on a mission to fiercely protect, nurture and champion creativity in all its forms. Let’s put it at the heart of everything we do. Because it isn’t a nice to have. It’s all we have.”

IPA director general Paul Bainsfair added: “We’re absolutely delighted to welcome Karen Martin as the new President of the IPA. In these challenging times, there’s no one better suited – with her intellect and passion – to lead our industry toward an agenda that is crucial for the future of our business.

“Creativity is our superpower. It comes at challenges from a fresh and unexpected perspective often using deceptively simple ideas to move markets. By fostering creativity in all its forms, I believe Karen’s agenda will unlock enormous potential and growth, both within our business and beyond.”