There’s an energy pulsing through New York City this week.

In Brooklyn, more than 50 speakers took the stage across dozens of sessions at ADVANCE 2025, filling two floors with marketing leaders, buzzing sponsor activations, and nonstop conversations about what’s next. From the mainstage to two breakout stages, the day was designed to spark ideas and real change, capped off with a Spotify-sponsored happy hour and live DJ.

We proudly brought the industry together for our second flagship event, exploring the convergence of brand love, business growth, and the transformative role of AI. Across every room, leaders shared bold perspectives on the future of advertising, creativity, and technology.

A Call to Action from Laura Desmond

Kicking off the day, Smartly CEO Laura Desmond set the tone that advertising, at its best, “inspires cultural change, fuels growth, and makes a force for good.” She urged marketers to disrupt themselves before technology does it for them. With 9 out of 10 consumers already using AI and 73% expecting it to deliver greater personalization, she reminded the industry that reinvention must now happen at the speed of AI (August 2025 NRG research commissioned by Smartly). 

Brand Love on Center Stage

The morning zeroed in on what it takes to build authentic, lasting brand love in a noisy world.

TIME CEO Jessica Sibley shared how the century-old brand is rewriting its playbook with Time 3.0, harnessing AI to scale storytelling while protecting its journalism. “We call it capital-J journalism,” she said. “AI can personalize delivery, but it will never replace the trust at the core of our reporting.”

Uber, FOX, and Magnolia Bakery joined the panel “The New Era of Advertising: What’s Now, What’s Next” to unpack how culture and creativity intersect with automation. Magnolia’s CMO shared how humans and AI can work together: “We’ll never lose the human touch of creativity… but at scale, AI helps us adapt faster to how consumers actually behave.”

In the session, “A New Way Forward: Storytelling at the Intersection of Brand, Culture & Technology,” Hollywood producers and film leaders highlighted how AI is changing the art of movies. Although AI is starting to take center stage, they all agreed that authenticity and resonance remain the heartbeat of modern storytelling, even as formats shift. And that’s true for brands too. 

Business Growth Without the Chaos

If the morning was about meaning, the afternoon shifted to momentum. Laura Desmond returned to the stage with Snap for “Advertising Reimagined: When Real Relationships Matter More Than Ever,” showing how growth comes from rethinking performance through the lens of people, not just platforms.

Snap CEO Evan Spiegel joined Laura Desmond on stage for “Advertising Reimagined: When Real Relationships Matter More Than Ever,” sharing how Snap has grown into a platform that now reaches nearly a billion people worldwide. He emphasized that trust, privacy, and authenticity remain the foundation of meaningful connections, especially with Gen Z and millennials. Spiegel pointed to the critical need for brands to accelerate creative velocity and personalization, explaining that the explosion of generative AI means “brands have to be able to create a huge volume of creative on a daily basis and really see what resonates with their audience”.

In “Streaming’s Evolution: How Prime Video Is Reshaping Global Entertainment,” Amazon’s Kelly Day and Kristina Hahn offered their perspective on how media leaders are rewriting the rules of attention, and how Amazon’s own streaming services are changing the face of CTV. 

Power Shifts: Women Leading the Charge in Media and Creativity

One of the afternoon’s most energizing conversations came during “Power Shifts: Women Leading the Charge in Media and Creativity,” featuring leaders from DoubleVerify, Spark Foundry, and JOAN. The panel highlighted how representation, visibility, and leadership from women are reshaping the future of growth.

Panelists shared how women at the helm are pushing for more inclusive narratives, smarter use of technology, and a culture where diverse voices drive innovation. Their message was clear: sustainable growth in advertising isn’t just about tools or channels. It’s about who is leading the charge and the values that guide the work.

AI Into Everything

AI was woven through nearly every session, but it wasn’t presented as hype. It is the practical engine of transformation for the next evolution of advertising.

Across the day, AI was consistently framed as an enabler, fueling both brand love through personalization and storytelling, and business growth through efficiency and smarter decision-making.

Desmond set the vision clearly: by 2028, 100% of advertising will be powered by AI. 

Every role, every campaign, and every organization will be rebuilt around AI-first systems. The message was clear. What feels disruptive today will soon be the default.

And in one of the most memorable closing moments, Wyclef Jean shared how he recently battle rapped ChatGPT… and won. His point: AI can take us far, but originality and soul will always matter.

What Comes Next

The conversations started in New York will continue well beyond the stage. As Desmond closed her keynote remarks, “Today is about moving advertising forward, together.” That call to action echoed throughout the day, and will continue to fuel how Smartly partners with brands, agencies, and creatives.

At Smartly, we remain committed to helping brands, agencies, and creatives simplify the complex, spark connection, and achieve outcomes that matter.

ADVANCE 2025 is only the beginning. The revolutionary ideas shared in New York are already reshaping marketing, and if you weren’t in the room, these recaps are your next best bet. More takeaways will be rolling out in the coming weeks. Stay tuned, to make sure you can stay ahead.

Join the conversation with #ADVANCE2025 on LinkedIn.

‍