How digital ads harm creativity

Advertising has been around for nearly 5,000 years, and for most of that time it was a deeply intentional craft. Advertisers carefully chose their words, imagery, audience and placement, maintaining creative control at every step.

That changed with the rise of digital advertising. Today’s automated systems, algorithms, and AI-generated creative have turned a once deliberate process into a black box. One where advertisers often don’t know, or can’t influence, how messages are delivered.

Digital ads prioritize scale and automation over authenticity and transparency. Because of this, few have left a lasting cultural mark.

If advertising is to remain meaningful, marketers must reclaim the process itself as the creative act; driven by human thought, not hidden algorithms.

We talk about all this and more in a new opinion piece just published this week.

Read the full story in Fast Company from AdQuick’s CEO, Chris Gadek.