Modern creators often operate with capabilities that rival small production teams: filming, editing, motion graphics, sound design, trend fluency and real-time iteration informed by performance data. Many can concept, shoot and deliver platform-ready assets in days, sometimes hours. This is not scrappy content. It is platform-native creative engineered for feeds where authenticity, speed and relevance outperform polished but distant brand messages.
The Mumbai-headquartered agency group, which combines Marching Ants Advertising and Trigger Happy Entertainment (MA&TH), following a merger of the two operations in 2019, provides content creation services for clients such as film distributors, over-the-top (OTT) providers, producers, film production studios, broadcast companies and international brands. The Drum spoke with Hakuhodo's general manager for international business strategy Yasutoshi Hiratsuka to learn more about the group's growth plans in India and across Asia.
If you purchased shares The Walt Disney Company ( NYSE:DIS) around 11 years ago, you might not have a heck of a lot to show for your investment. Undoubtedly, the stock is pretty much going for prices it went for just over a decade ago. And while it's been a real test of investor patience, it's clear that Disney shares have been a trap for many years,
If you're a photographer or filmmaker who uses Adobe software, 2025 was the year that the company stopped pretending that you were the main character in its story. You became the supporting cast. That's neither an insult to you, nor shade at Adobe. But it is an honest observation that explains everything Adobe announced this year, from the genuinely useful (AI culling in Lightroom) to the bewildering (50,000 generative credits per month on the Firefly Premium plan).
Creative automation offers a fast and efficient way for brands to scale their content production without compromising on creative quality. The technology enables the generation of thousands of campaign asset versions across formats, languages, and touchpoints in a fraction of the time of traditional methods. So, with the demand for content at an all-time high, why are many brands still reluctant to embrace this technology?
Are you thinking about investing in AI for your small company? The buzz about AI seems to be everywhere, but is there real value, especially for small businesses? For me, the answer is a definite yes, as long as you're careful about how you approach it. Over the past nearly three years, I have found AI to be a force multiplier for my small business.
Adobe Firefly Creative Production for Enterprise expands the Firefly web app's ability to quickly resize and reframe thousands of assets. New enterprise-grade capabilities include a workflow builder for creating reusable production workflows; integrations with Adobe Experience Manager Assets and Frame.io to streamline asset import and export; and more than 20 generative and creative actions, including object compositing and brand checks.
The vertical short dramas app hosts 1-to-2 minute-long chapters of films about cheating scandals and mafia bosses, with titles like "Pregnancy Contract" and "Maid in Mafia Family." The content, which Ovdiienko labeled himself as a "guilty pleasure," keeps audiences hooked whether they would like to admit it or not. After launching in May 2024, Ovdiienko's platform reaches a monthly active user base of 5 million. His European platform is attempting to rival the Chinese market, which popularized this form of storytelling.
