Judge of the Day: Teamspirit's James Maxwell says great work should never play it safe

""Confidence in ideas and the ability to sell them more easily has been overlooked. Being able to bring visuals to life that once felt impossible for clients to picture has been revolutionary. Mixing design, illustration, motion and copy with ease has helped ideas flow in new ways." But he cautions that limits vary by sector. "For FMCG, AI-generated pack shots may be fine. For luxury or financial services, the need to show craft and humanity is much higher to protect brand trust."

"When asked about the balance between brand and performance, he points out how the pendulum has swung. "Everyone piled into short-term performance at the start, but it's run out of steam. Performance marketing has halved since 2020 due to over-reliance on tech and metrics. Now performance-led brands are seeking brand fame and stature. Maybe it's not about rules like 60/40 or 95/5 at all. It's about everything, everywhere, all at once. Brand and performance together."

""Not everything in culture is for you. Use your brand's purpose as a north star to gauge what's right. Aldi can jump on quick trends. A bank or luxury car brand probably shouldn't. Tone and personality may feel like softer parts of the brand, but they are vital in stopping you from chasing the wrong moment. Remember why you exist when you're finding the right type of fame.""

AI increases confidence in ideas by making unpictureable visuals possible, enabling mixing of design, illustration, motion and copy. Limits for AI use vary by sector: FMCG may accept AI-generated pack shots, while luxury and financial services require craft and humanity to protect brand trust. Short-term performance marketing has declined since 2020 due to over-reliance on tech and metrics, prompting performance-led brands to pursue fame and stature. Effective work combines brand and performance simultaneously. Cultural relevance should be guided by a brand's purpose, using tone and personality to avoid chasing unsuitable trends. Bravery, divisive ideas and linguistic craft prevent work from slipping into the boring middle ground.

Read at The Drum