With generative AI tools on the rise and memes and trends filling feeds, is there still space for bold, original and authentic storytelling – or are we stuck in a loop of sameness?
I joined Campaign Magazine and We Are Social UK for a special edition live podcast CTRL, ALT, CREATE, hosted in front of an audience and led by Campaign’s tech editor, Lucy Shelley.
The episode explored how AI, cultural trends and content creation are reshaping the creative landscape — from the memes filling our feeds to the ethics of AI-generated storytelling.
Key Themes & Takeouts
Memes as modern-day shorthand
We talked about why memes and reactive content are so compelling right now. For me, they’re like a form of cultural shorthand. Relatable, often hilarious, and emotionally punchy.
Are memes and trends really low-effort content?
I challenged the idea that reactive or meme-led content is low effort. The best brands in this space have teams dedicated to it. They understand the platforms, know their audience, and have a clear sense of what fits the brand voice. Good reactive content takes speed, yes, but also creative thinking, judgement and a solid streamlined sign-off process.
The truth is, the brands that do it really well invest in it with teams who understand cultural nuance, creative writing, platform behaviour and the all-important timing (i.e. knowing when not to post).
Reflecting vs shaping culture
We debated whether brands should mirror culture or mould it. My take? It’s both. You can’t shape the culture if you haven’t engaged with the culture and earned the right.
AI can generate, but can it help with originality?
There was a lot of discussion about whether generative AI is expanding or limiting creativity and issues around IP.
AI tools are expanding the creative toolkit and being incorporated into creative workflows, yes. But we need to remember that originality still starts with human insight. Generative AI is powerful for speeding up production, but the magic still lies in the concept and context — not just the output.
AI & authenticity
When you can fake just about anything with generative AI, staying authentic matters more than ever. How do brands maintain authenticity and is disclosure enough?
