In a sea of sameness, how can creativity stand out in 2027?

As artificial intelligence (AI) reshapes how creative work is produced, Malaysia's creative leaders are looking beyond the technology to consider what will give brands and agencies an edge in 2027.

In a recent report by DoubleVerify titled "2026 global insights: Media quality in the age of AI", 42% of Southeast Asian consumers said they would view a brand negatively if it used AI to create ads that appeared low quality, uncanny or unnatural. The findings point to a growing challenge for brands: producing content at scale means little if it fails to resonate with audiences.

For agencies, the questions extend beyond creative execution. From building distinctive brands and turning Malaysian culture into ideas with international appeal to rethinking client relationships and creating more sustainable working environments, the year ahead could demand changes in both the work and the way agencies operate.

A+M spoke to Malaysia's creative leaders about the shifts they expect to shape 2027, and what they believe will help the industry grow without losing sight of what makes its work meaningful.

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Audrey Chong, CEO, dentsu Malaysia 

One of the more important shifts in 2027 will be in how we define the role of an idea. For a long time, our industry has been very good at creating things for people to watch. But attention now is getting harder and more expensive to hold, while the amount of content competing for it keeps growing. That puts a different demand on creativity.

Therefore, increasingly, the more interesting opportunity is to create something people can wear, visit, experience, talk about and make their own.

That matters because attention is easy to buy for a moment but a place in someone’s life is much harder to earn.

Malaysia is fertile ground for this because participation is such a natural part of how our culture moves. We do not simply consume culture. Rather, we add to it by interpreting things, giving them new language, sharing them across communities and sometimes take them somewhere the original creator never expected.

We are already putting a lot of that into our own work at dentsu Malaysia and we have wonderful clients who allow us the creative ambition to move our ideas beyond the screen and become part of experiences, places and everyday life where they live outside advertising. And more brands will have to leave a little more room for that, allowing ideas that have a life beyond the media they pay to put behind them.

Donevan Chew, chief creative officer, Havas Malaysia 

In 2027, creative agencies will need to move beyond treating AI as a productivity tool and start using it as a catalyst for better ideas, faster learning and more meaningful client outcomes. The agencies that lead will combine technology with distinctly human strengths: cultural intelligence, strategic judgement, empathy and imagination.

We will also see greater demand for integrated teams that connect creativity, data, media, commerce and experience, rather than operating in separate disciplines. Personalisation will become more sophisticated, but trust, transparency and responsible use of data will be critical.

Most importantly, agencies will be expected to demonstrate business impact, not just campaign outputs.

The future belongs to organisations that can deliver growth while keeping human creativity at the centre.

Li Li Pang, co-founder and managing director, Muma Malaysia 

In 2027, strong branding will matter more in a sea of AI-generated content. 

AI is making content faster and easier to produce, but the downside is that a lot of it can start to look and sound the same. In a crowded feed, getting attention is one thing. Being remembered is another.

That is where strong branding matters. A distinctive identity, a clear point of view and ideas that feel uniquely yours will become even more important. In many ways, it is a return to the basics of advertising. Every piece of communication should build recognition and reinforce what the brand stands for, rather than simply filling the feed with content.

When everything starts to look the same, being unmistakably you matters more. 

Amit Sutha, CEO, Publicis Groupe Malaysia

The client whisperer of the future won't be defined by function, but by affinity.

One trend I expect to see accelerate in 2027 is the reshaping of leadership within creative agencies. For decades, agencies followed a familiar formula: business leaders managed client relationships, strategists shaped the thinking, and creative leaders brought ideas to life. Increasingly, that model feels too rigid for the clients we serve today.

Modern CEOs, founders and CMOs come from diverse backgrounds and bring different perspectives, interests and ways of working. The strongest client relationships are often built not through hierarchy, but through affinity. A strategist may connect deeply with a CEO's business challenges. An ECD may become a trusted advisor to a CMO because they share a common view of culture, creativity or growth.

As a result, we're seeing the rise of what I call the "client whisperer". Senior leaders who become trusted partners regardless of their discipline. They could come from strategy, creative, technology, data or business leadership. What matters is their ability to hold a broader conversation, build trust and bring a point of view that extends beyond their specialism.

In an industry built on relationships, the future belongs to agencies that are willing to rethink who leads them. And yes, for anyone wondering, I made it all the way to the end without mentioning AI. That may be the boldest prediction of all.

Hui Tsin Yee, CEO, TBWA Malaysia 

Looking ahead to 2027, the creator economy and the opportunity to build on our own culture and homegrown IP give us room to take Malaysian creativity further. We’re Malaysian. So we get Malaysia. But how do we turn that understanding into ideas that travel beyond our borders?

That takes people who think disruptively, challenge conventions and connect creativity to how clients grow their businesses. The way we build and run agencies matters just as much. Growth cannot just be about higher output, tighter timelines and more pressure on teams.

A sustainable agency delivers business results without burning through its talent to get there.

Ultimately, resilience isn’t about pushing through exhaustion. It’s about creating an environment where people can do good work, keep growing and want to stay.

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