Are we finally seeing a return to creativity in marketing?

For years, marketing has been shaped by data, targeting, and efficiency, with a huge emphasis on ROI and performance marketing. Somewhere along the way, creativity took a back seat.

Campaigns became predictable, brands played it safe, and audiences pushed back. American Eagle’s “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans” ad was recently criticised intensely for being tone deaf and failing hard to connect with the female audience who would likely be the customers of the jeans featured. Although the company’s stock has risen, foot traffic is down 9% at stores since the controversy, according to Retail Brew.

The emotional spark, the thing that actually connects brands to people, got lost in the dashboards.

But lately… something’s shifting.
Top marketeers are focusing on creativity and connection once again.
Emotional storytelling is re-emerging
Distinctive design and voice are making a comeback.
We’re seeing a need for campaigns that feel like culture, not just content.

Is it a response to ad fatigue? A growing oversaturation of AI content? Or the realization that creativity is a performance driver and audiences desperately crave it? I think it’s option D, all the above.

Instead of defaulting to lazy celebrity marketing, Vattenfall recently created a great example. The Swedish energy company launched Wind Farmed Seaweed Snacks, grown between the wind turbines at a Vattenfall offshore wind farm. The snacks highlight how clean energy can also support marine ecosystems and food production.

To deliver the message, they brought in someone who might seem surprising, Samuel L Jackson. However, Jackson actually majored in marine biology before becoming an actor, adding a layer of connection and interest to the campaign.

The snacks weren’t mass produced for sale, but they were a conversation starter, handed to media and influencers to spark a discussion on making climate innovation digestible and relatable.

It’s not just marketing.
It’s a taste of what’s possible when we use our creativity and thoughtfulness.