The advertising industry is a very different place from where it was a year ago. For the creative brains behind the brand content we consume, 2020 saw a monumental shift in the way they work; animation and CGI technology replaced physical shoots. Creatives across the globe have been forced to pivot, spurring a new era of innovation, ingenuity, and opportunity.

How brands and agencies should approach the future of creative advertising

Here at Red Shark Digital, the leader in creative services, we’ve identified 3 major trends that will help us finish out the year strong and take us to new creative heights in 2022. But, knowing these trends and capitalizing on them are two different matters.To ensure that 2022 contains fewer surprises than the likes of the past two years, we recommend you implement one or two of the following trends/techniques to see creative success:

Adapt and Overcome

It is important to reflect on life and tell new stories with our messaging because our lives have become so narrow within the past two years. Now, creatives have had to adapt to the times and develop new ways to achieve a successful production with their team, from the confines of their homes.With the demand for engaging content on the rise, 2020 saw creators exploring animation software and utilizing stock content. This “hybrid approach” has inevitably lead to a landscape of CGI, animation, 3D renderings, and video chat advertising

‍Cinema 4D Animation by MBSJQ via Dribbble

‍Within this new creative landscape, I fear creative services run the risk of letting their portrayal of the world become too narrow. What I mean by this is that creatives around the world, for the most part, have become accustomed to this new normal that 2020 has conditioned us to. I believe that these new techniques and the adoption of a “hybrid model” will lead to much success for creatives as the years go on.

Let’s Get Personal

Also known as personalized advertising, this refers to the capability of showing a customized ad to each target audience you are pursuing. As customers perceive personalization as attractive and engaging – but they actively dislike being exposed to generic adverts – this is something that we expect businesses to take advantage of in 2021.

Check out the Matsmart campaign that utilized Facebook’s personalized ads

‍Another example of ad personalization is the increasing usage of one-to-one videos. These are personalized video messages sent by brands and businesses to their customers instead of using old-fashioned cold calls and emails.

The Power of AI

The biggest advertising trend that 2021 creative services professionals have revealed is probably the explosion of programmatic ads via artificial intelligence (AI) to automate ad purchases. This will allow brands to target even more specific audiences.Also, as the range of channels used for reaching customers grows, it is becoming increasingly difficult to manage. Managing programmatic platforms through AI solves this problem as they use targeting signals and real-time adaptation for individual ads or campaigns via any given channel.

Ask Alexa - Kitchen Helper targeted advertising

‍Across this type of advertising, exciting new trends such as the use of voice search and voice commands for commercial purposes, the introduction of blockchain, or 5G networks are likely to experience a boom in 2021. “As Kai Sulkowski from Dmexco reports that 40% of people who use voice search in a private capacity say that they also use it in their work, we can expect brands to be interested in developing their own voice apps for use on voice assistants.” The Drum. Because of this, Alexa or Siri will put customers into contact with businesses more easily and frequently, enhancing communication and engagement between the two sides.It’s an exciting time for advertisers and creative services – offering more opportunities than ever to have ever-specific targeted conversations with potential and existing customers by utilizing relevant creative services. 2021 is looking bright – make sure you make the most of the new ad tech available.