London turned the volume all the way up last week, and we didn’t just show up, we showed out. With 15,000 marketers, creatives, provocateurs, and builders packed into the Truman Brewery, MAD//Fest was part tech rave, part strategy summit, and part fever dream for the future of advertising.

Smartly was in the thick of it, serving AI realness, creative reinvention, and a better way forward for ads that want to do more than just blend in. Here’s what we heard, saw, and lived:

Trend 1: Creative Fatigue Is Real but Fixable

Weak creative doesn’t just underperform, it wastes opportunity. And in a world where attention is currency, brands are realizing that better ads start with smarter tools, faster insights, and video that adapts in real time. At MAD//Fest, we demonstrated how automation can free up space for genuine creativity to flourish and respond as quickly as the moment demands.

Trend 2: AI Is the Assist, Not the Answer

AI isn’t here to take over. It's here to team up. Thiago Carrera, who leads H&M globally at Publicis, put it best: “AI won’t replace the balance between people and tech, it strengthens it. A sturdy tech foundation is what makes cross-market localization and creator-driven social possible at scale. It’s not about replacing craft, it’s about respecting it.”

The new playbook isn’t AI vs. creative, it’s AI with creative. Brands like H&M are scaling with intelligence, not compromise.

Trend 3: Messaging That Moves With the Moment

Consumers aren’t following neat, linear paths; they’re moving fluidly across platforms, contexts, and content. The challenge isn’t reach. It’s relevance.

Smartly’s messaging tools bring real-time dialogue into the ad experience, whether it’s answering a question, offering a recommendation, or sparking a second look. When conversations can happen within the creative, brands stay present and persuasive, where it counts.

Speaker Sessions That Cut Through the Noise

Between the beach huts and booth buzz, two standout sessions gave the crowd more than just soundbites:

• Patrice Harvey, Director Client Partners EMEA at Smartly, sat down with Thiago Carrera of Publicis (H&M) to unpack the realities of scaling creative across markets. From attribution shifts to AI’s role in cultural nuance, it was a masterclass in modern retail marketing.
• KMac, Smartly’s Chief Commercial Officer, shared the stage with Frans Leenaars, Director of Marketing & Sales Optimization at TUI, for a wide-ranging conversation on personalization, performance, and what it really takes to modernize a global brand engine.

These weren’t panels. They were honest, sharp, and refreshingly unscripted perspectives.

Best Moments from the Mayhem

• The Smartly Beach Hut: A sun-soaked space for strategy and spontaneous connections
• Claw Machine Chaos: A crowd favorite, reminding us all that the best ideas should be worth the grab
• Creative snapshots & candid chats: From CMOs, creators, and marketing renegades rewriting the rules
• Real insights, not just reels: From brands pushing the limits of what social, video, and CTV can do

Final Word: The Future Isn’t Flashy, It’s Fearless

MAD//Fest didn’t whisper about what’s next, it roared. And for Smartly, it was proof that when creativity and performance work in lockstep, ads don’t just show up, they show off.

Thanks to everyone who stepped into the Smartly world. This is the future of advertising: louder, faster, smarter, and infinitely more human.

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