Disruption gets
recognized

TBWA’s Global CEO Erin Riley affirms the relevance of the agency’s disruption mantra during turbulent times, leveraging their 50-year playbook to instill confidence in clients and employees. Additionally, TBWA’s Global Chief Strategy Officer Jen Costello highlights the high cost of playing it safe, further advocating for disruptive and distinctive branding amidst AI-induced cultural homogenization, as seen in impactful campaigns like Levi’s reimagined through Beyoncé’s narrative lens.

For decades, creative disciplines have been siloed, and even in 2025, the conversation continues about the need to break down these barriers. ​​In the spirit of killing boring and embracing intersectionality, TBWA’s Global Chief Creative Experience Officer Ben Williams shares with Ad Age five ways to disrupt the traditional creative department format.

Ben Williams, the Global Chief Creative Experience Officer at TBWA\Worldwide, shares his perspectives on four advertising campaigns that have profoundly influenced him. Highlighting Apple’s witty humor and Adidas’ courageous storytelling, Williams explores the unique elements that distinguish these campaigns and how they have shaped his approach to creative work.

Chief Innovation Officer Luke Eid discusses why the consumer electronics show highlighted how AI can bridge the trust gap, and what that tells us about a sustainable path to growth for brands “I think the best companies at CES weren’t just showcasing AI this year – they were demonstrating how it can empower rather than control”

TBWA\RAAD CEO, Reda Raad discusses vital lessons learned throughout his career. One of the most important lessons? Trust. “Every great relationship-whether with clients, colleagues or partners – depends on trust.”

CES gives us a glimpse into the future of technology. NEXT, TBWA’s global innovation practice, deciphered all the signals coming out of CES. From the convergence of AI, and how AI is becoming more physical, to playful robotics and updates in XR and ambient interfaces.

Backslash, 180 Luxe, and TBWA\CULT have launched the “Future of Luxury” report, providing insights into maintaining luxury brand relevance amidst changing market dynamics. The report explores three key shifts: Contemporary Craftsmanship, Fantasy Machines, and Limitless Luxury.

Media Arts Lab Director of Interactive Strategy, Kim Jimenez highlights how augmented reality is evolving into a blend of physical and digital worlds, spurred by brand campaigns that challenge perceptions of reality. Her insights underline how AR is shaping experiences that engage consumers through creative experimentation.

With resources stretched thin, junior employees are feeling the heat, taking on more responsibilities and clamoring for better training from their managers. TBWA\Worldwide’s Executive Coach, Rob Schwartz, advises creatives to share a mission for the agency: “We’re going to make work that’s going to be famous, or whatever your mission is going to be; have a mission and tell people. It’s not about you personally, it’s about us on a new mission.”

TBWA\Worldwide’s Global Chief Creative Experience Officer, Ben Williams, has a bold theory about creatives in 2024: they fall into two camps—the dazzling storytellers and the meticulous designers. Ben’s mission? To unite these two tribes, fostering collaboration and sparking innovation.

Pitching demands can send marketers and procurement teams into a streamlining and cost-cutting frenzy. TBWA\Worldwide’s Deepthi Prakash, shares four ways to optimize a process filled with contradictions.

Bruno Regalo, TBWA\Worldwide’s Global Chief Design Officer, sits down with Little Black Book to dive into the world of design. Reflecting on his passion, Bruno remarked, “Design always walks the line between being informative and persuasive, and in the right hands, it has the power to do good—unifying communities, educating people on important issues, and inspiring positive change.

Erin Riley has climbed the ladder at TBWA over the last eight years, and now she has risen to the top role as global chief executive officer. It’s a promotion that will allow the collective to continue its role as an industry disruptor. Riley’s elevation from U.S. CEO of TBWA\Chiat\Day is part of a new global leadership team for 2025. Erwan Guillou, currently TBWA\Chiat\Day U.S. CFO and global chief pricing officer, has been appointed as global CFO.

Fast Company Middle East talked to some of the winning agencies from its ‘Most Innovative Companies’ list to understand their success, what innovation means, and identify their primary drivers. According to Romy Abdelnour, Head of Communications at TBWA\RAAD, to be successful you need to stay updated with cultural trends and technology advancements. “Innovation is about predicting trends, aligning with cultural shifts, and ensuring our brands are relevant in this ever-evolving landscape.”

Fresh from taking up the role as Chief Client Officer, Mai reflects on how tech-savvy brands are winning in digital spaces. “The reach that a brand can have has multiplied. Now, by leveraging technology, a retail brand without a physical store can have a global reach. And now, leveraging technology, that same brand can engage customers in much richer and much more meaningful ways. They can provide their customers with the ability to create communities.”

Rhonda George-Denniston, Chief Learning & Development Officer at TBWA\Worldwide talks authenticity, empathy and why it’s OK for leaders not to know all the answers.

TBWA\Chiat\Day’s Associate Creative Director and Copywriter, Kristi Lira, emphasizes the importance of creating more inclusive environments and ensuring representation, not only in advertisements but also within teams.

Yong Ping, ECD of TBWA\Singapore shares why creativity needs to be believed in, encouraged, and applied. “Creativity is a lifestyle, mindset, freedom of imagination, it’s constantly being inspired, open to new influences, being a sponge to culture and what’s happening around you.”

Sports were a hot topic at Cannes this year, and Ben Williams, Global Chief Creative Experience Officer at TBWA\Worldwide was in the midst of the conversation. Sitting on the Entertainment Lions for Sport jury, Ben saw firsthand the influx of creative work fueled by sport and culture, and he shared his key takeaways with Ad Age.

Brandon Thorton, Executive Strategy Director at TBWA\Chiat\Day LA on the power of authentic storytelling in sports marketing.

TBWA\RAAD Managing Director, Dan Leach, on the agency’s strategic expansion to serve as a central hub for both local and global brands.

Paul Bradbury, President and CEO of TBWA\Australia & TBWA\New Zealand dives into the importance of creative inspiration, crafting meaningful work and the necessity of innovation.

Max Reed, Creative Director at Eleven and TBWA\Melbourne, on Beyoncé’s new country album, Cowboy Carter, and what the advertising industry can learn from its creative risk and innovative push towards another genre.

Global Strategist at NEXT, Kelvin Chong, chats with Advertising Council Australia about his role with NEXT, experience at AdSchool and his growth as a strategist with TBWA.

Companies have long tried to make offices less stuffy by creating collaboration spaces. The resounding solution lately seems to be incorporating couches into the office space. “We’ve reached peak couch,” says Miller, the chief talent officer at TBWA Worldwide. TBWA now boasts 15 sofas in its Manhattan office space, up from five a year ago.

Carl Willoughby, CCO at TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris on the importance of being in the office despite digital advancements and tools. “If the past 4 years taught me anything it was that people really need people.”

Global Chief Creative Officer at dotdotdash and TBWA\NEXT, Kim Laama chats with Addison Capper from LBB about her team’s focus on innovation, bringing the power of Disruption and the ‘everything and anything’ of brand experience.

Eve Remillard-Larose, Des Jones and Adam Reeves sat down with LBB to discuss the recent merger between DDB Canada and Juniper Park\TBWA, and their vision for 2024.

Joanne Lao, CEO of TBWA\Greater China on innovating in advertising and navigating cultural nuances. “Once I joined the industry, I knew it was where I belonged. I love working in a company with creativity at its core, where it’s your job to think disruptively and break conventions.”

Desmond Marzette, Executive Creative Director at TBWA\Chiat\Day, shares the impact Pro-Line Hair Products’ ‘Just for Me’ campaign had on him as a kid. “I didn’t use these products, but the commercial still stuck with me. Maybe it’s because I was 11 years old, and seeing Black kids smiling and joyful was enough to make me feel the same.”

Andy Jex, CCO at TBWA\London, on his journey from a curious child in the ‘golden age’ of TV advertising to a leading figure in the creative industry.

More than a trend report, Backslash Edges does not spotlight the hot new aesthetics, here-today-gone-tomorrow fads, or buzzy social media moments. Instead, it offers a future-focused look at major global cultural shifts—allowing us to peek around the corner of culture before it becomes mainstream.

In a fresh series, APAC adland CEOs share their hopes and fears for the year ahead and reflect on 2023. This week, Paul Bradbury, President and Regional CEO of TBWA\Australia and TBWA\New Zealand enters the chat.