The Brandtech Group appoints first Gen AI Creative Director

New York, New York, 22 July 2024: The Brandtech Group has created a new role, Gen AI Creative Director, and appointed former Burberry creative James Dow.

Dow, who is promoted from Creative Director of the Group’s brand innovation company, Brandtech Consulting where he has spent seven years, will lead the charge in championing creative excellence across work created with Gen AI, and through Brandtech’s Gen AI marketing platform Pencil.

He will work with global clients across the Group who are piloting and scaling the Pencil platform, as well as informing and helping to upskill creators in the business on the latest Gen AI tools and developments. Dow, who previously spent four years at Burberry as Global Senior Campaign Director, will also play a pivotal role in Brandtech’s new Gen AI Residency program, partnering with some of the world’s leading Gen AI artists and creators to push the creative boundaries of marketing with their unique uses of Gen AI.

Pencil is the world’s #1 Gen AI end-to-end marketing platform for brands, having already created more than 1 million ads for 5,000 brands, with $1bn of media spend through the platform since it launched in 2018. Pencil was also named by Fast Company as one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies 2024, the only Generative AI marketing company to be recognized. (This AI platform has made and modeled a million ads).

The new role was deemed essential for the Group, with Gen AI continuing to deepen across all Brandtech’s companies and clients. “I like to view Gen AI as a great empowerer of creative vision,” said Dow. “Enabling anyone, anywhere to rapidly explore nascent ideas and blow them out into fully realized worlds in the blink of an eye. Humans are storytellers and I can’t wait to see what a diverse new generation of creators are going to make now that they have access to tools that can bring their perspectives to life. Once again, the gatekeepers of what gets made and whose voice gets heard are losing their grip and this excites me.”

David Jones, co-founder and CEO of The Brandtech Group, said: “Rather than undermining creativity, Gen AI will lead to the greatest creative revolution in history. The Gen AI tools we have at our disposal, and are part of the Pencil platform, are mind blowing in what they can do better, faster and cheaper than ever before. And they are only going to get better.

“Appointing James as our inaugural Gen AI Creative Director marks an exciting time for us, and the industry, as there will no doubt be many more roles like this created across creative companies.

“But this is about much more than the confines of the established marketing industry. Can you imagine the power of the creator economy when everyone has these kinds of Gen AI tools in their hands? I believe that the impact Gen AI is going to have on marketing will be greater than the changes we saw with social media and the mobile revolution. If the mobile phone made everyone a creator, then Gen AI will make everyone an ad agency.” added Jones.

Using Pencil, brands can create entire campaigns right from customer insights to creative output to predictive performance to digital media placement. The platform includes all of the best Gen AI models and updates accordingly, so it always offers the very latest and best of the tools on one platform.

Brandtech’s Group companies are already applying Gen AI at scale across their areas of expertise.

Gravity Road created the world’s most effective ad (System 1) in the category for Hotel Chocolat in 2023, and the ongoing IOC campaign for the Refugee Olympic Team. Mofilm has been running creator Gen AI training for its network of 10,000 creators. Brandtech Consulting is working on high-level projects for the Group’s biggest clients. Oliver has numerous live campaigns using Gen AI for clients, including multiple projects for Unilever and Diageo. And Collectively is at the heart of the previously mentioned Residency program with the world’s most interesting Gen AI creators and artists.

Rebecca Sykes, Brandtech Partner and Head of Emerging Technologies, added: “We’ve been working in Gen AI since 2018, so we’re well ahead of the market. There are two things needed to stay in front; one is having the best tech – and we definitely have that in Pencil, and the other is the best talent. Having James step into this new creative leadership role will boost the latter by infusing a coherent culture across the group – one that is positive, curious, and skilled.”

About The Brandtech Group

The Brandtech Group is the world’s #1 digital-only marketing group and the leading global generative AI marketing company. It was founded in June 2015 (as You & Mr Jones) by former Havas Global CEO David Jones, with the simple mission to help brands do their marketing better, faster and cheaper using technology. It was renamed The Brandtech Group in January 2022.

Today it is the largest global digital content partner for many of the world’s biggest brands and companies, often using its unique in-housing model. It works with eight of the world’s top 10 global advertisers and 49 of the world’s top 100. Clients include Google, Microsoft, Unilever, LVMH, Morgan Stanley, Bayer, TikTok, Diageo, Reckitt and Renault-Nissan.

Its most recent acquisition was Pencil, the only generative AI marketing company that is powered by $1BN in media spend across 5,000 brands.Typically, Pencil’s ads are 10x faster, with 2x better performance than a brand’s usual baseline. Working with the Group, Pencil launched a new tool, Pencil Pro, which is specifically designed for major global brands and has an industry-leading approach to brand safety, data ringfencing, IP ownership, copyright protection and other policies.

In addition, the Group invests in cutting-edge marketing technology companies and has been active in the AI, AR and gaming spaces since 2015. The Group was the very first external investor in Niantic (creators of Pokémon Go), alongside other investments such as AI Foundation (2018), Automat (AI chatbots, 2016), Elsy (AI media planning, 2016), Jivox (dynamic automated content, 2016), Crossing Minds (deep learning AI recommendation system, 2017), VidMob (automated content, 2018), CreativeX (AI-driven content optimization, 2022), Zappar (AR, 2017), Provenance (blockchain, 2022) and GGP (the world’s largest gaming fund). The Group is one of the most prominent marketing industry voices on the prediction and movement to AI-driven marketing, including generative AI. It was named one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies 2021 by Fast Company, and by CB Insights as one of the World’s Most Valuable Private Unicorns.

Read more >
See our other articles here

Disclaimer - Important

THE WEBSITE YOU ARE SEEKING TO ACCESS IS MADE AVAILABLE BY CHRYSALIS INVESTMENTS LIMITED (THE “COMPANY“) IN GOOD FAITH AND IS PROVIDED FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY.

THE INFORMATION CONTAINED ON THIS WEBSITE IS INTENDED FOR PERSONS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM ONLY AND IN PARTICULAR IS NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IN OR INTO ANY MEMBER STATE OF THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AREA (“EEA”), THE UNITED STATES, CANADA, AUSTRALIA, THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA OR JAPAN OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION WHERE ITS RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION IS OR MAY BE UNLAWFUL.

Please read this notice carefully – it applies to all persons who view this website. Please note that the terms set out below may be altered or updated without notice. You should read the following provisions in full each time you visit the site.

The information on this website is intended for, and may be accessed only by, persons in the United Kingdom. Viewing the materials you are seeking to access may not be lawful in other jurisdictions.

The information on this website is for information purposes only and does not constitute or form a part of any offer or invitation to sell or issue, or the solicitation of any offer to purchase or subscribe for, securities. Any subscription for securities in the Company may be made only pursuant to a prospectus issued by the Company from time to time that will provide detailed information about the Company and the securities to be offered (the “Prospectus”). Particular attention should be paid to the “Risk Factors” section of the Prospectus which will highlight specific risks relating to the Company.

No securities of the Company have been or will be registered under the US Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act“) or under the securities laws of any state or other jurisdiction of the United States and may not be offered, sold or delivered, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States, or to or for the account or benefit of any US person (within the meaning of Regulation S under the Securities Act). In addition, the Company has not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. There will be no public offer of securities in the United States.

If you are not permitted to view this website or are in any doubt as to whether you are permitted to view this website, please exit this website immediately by clicking on the “Disagree” button below. The contents of this website must not be released or otherwise forwarded, distributed or sent, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, outside the United Kingdom and in particular in or into any Member State of the EEA, the United States, Australia, Canada, the Republic of South Africa or Japan or any other jurisdiction where the distribution of such materials would or may breach any applicable law or regulation or would require any registration or licensing within such jurisdiction. Persons receiving any such materials (including, without limitation, custodians, nominees and trustees) should observe these restrictions and must not, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, forward, distribute or send them in, into or from any jurisdiction outside the United Kingdom. Neither the Company, Jupiter Investment Management Limited (the “Investment Adviser”) nor their respective advisers accept any responsibility for any violation by any person of any of these restrictions.

Basis of access

Access to this website is for information purposes only. Any person seeking access to this website represents and warrants to the Company and the Investment Adviser that they are doing so for information purposes only. Making this website available does not constitute an offer to issue or sell or the solicitation of an offer to subscribe for or buy securities in the Company. Further, it does not constitute a recommendation by the Company or the Investment Manager or any associated company or any other person to subscribe for or buy securities in the Company. The information on this website is general in nature and does not in any way constitute investment, tax, legal or other advice.

None of the Company, the Investment Adviser or any other person has, or accepts, any responsibility or duty to update any information, document or announcement contained on this website and the Company reserves the right to add to, remove or amend any information available on this website at any time.

The information on this website is general in nature and may be subject to amendment and updating without notice. None of the Company, the Investment Adviser nor any other person guarantees the accuracy or completeness of any information on this website and each such person disclaims all representations and warranties, whether express or implied, to the greatest extent permitted by applicable law and regulation. By continuing to use this website, you agree to the exclusion by such persons, to the greatest extent permitted by applicable law and regulation, of any and all liability for any direct, indirect, punitive, consequential, incidental, special or other damages, including, without limitation, loss of profits, revenue or data arising out of or relating to the provision of and your use of this website and its content.
Neither the Company, its directors, the Investment Adviser nor any other person accepts any responsibility in respect of any information contained on any other website which may be linked to or from this website.

Use of Cookies

The Company uses cookies to track where you are accessing this website from. For further details of the types of cookie we use please refer to our Privacy and Cookies policy.

Confirmation of understanding and acceptance of terms

Please select your country of residence:

By clicking on the “Agree” button below, you confirm, represent and warrant to the Company that you are located in the United Kingdom and you agree that you will not forward, distribute or send any materials contained in this website to any person outside the United Kingdom.

I have read and understood the terms set out above, which I understand may affect my rights and I agree to be bound by those terms. By clicking on the “Agree” button below, I confirm that I am permitted to access the website.