What 2027 holds for Hong Kong creatives

Generative AI is no longer knocking on the creative industry's door. It's already inside, reshaping how brands plan and spend.

The shift is clear in the numbers. According to a survey by Cherrypicks, more than 80% of Hong Kong businesses have already formalised plans to adopt AI solutions, either right away or within the next year. The technology now sits at the heart of how businesses plan to grow.

The money follows the same logic. Forrester data shows B2B organisations expect technology to receive the biggest investment boost, with 80% of marketers planning to increase spending, followed closely by personnel and programmes at 76% each. B2C marketers tell a similar story, with technology expected to see the strongest spending growth ahead of services and paid media.

Still, spending more doesn't automatically mean spending well. The smartest brands will direct their budgets towards platforms that clearly serve business objectives, rather than piling on tools they don't need.

As 2027 approaches, one-off creator collabs won't be enough. The brands that stand out will build long-term creative platforms, where brand storytelling and creator content come together in a way that actually resonates.

With that in mind, here's how industry leaders across Hong Kong's advertising and creative sector see the year ahead, in conversation with MARKETING-INTERACTIVE.

Maggie Cheung, managing director at BBDO Hong Kong

Nobody can deny the importance of AI, but I think the next big wave isn't about better AI; it’s about getting back to authenticity. As AI-generated content floods the market, real human creativity and genuine storytelling will become the rare commodity, and thus its value will increase. Clients will demand work that feels genuinely human because it's made by humans who understand culture and emotion, not just algorithms, and continue to require proven results.

In 2027, we'll be focusing on three things: Omni.ai and tools like it to help our teams work smarter and faster, generative AI to handle the production grunt work, and smarter workflows that connect it all. The point is freeing up our teams to focus on what AI can't do: authentic storytelling and real strategic thinking. We're not letting AI replace creativity; we're using it so our people can do more of it.

We're budgeting around talent and the AI tools that empower them. In 2027, we'll be investing in teams with real creative excellence, strategic thinking, and cultural intelligence, plus AI platforms that help us uncover insights and measure real business outcomes. That's where our competitive edge will be - creative excellence with the right tools.

Our one key area of focus is doing big things that solve real business problems. Everyone's chasing the shiny tech; we're laser-focused on authentic creative work that actually moves the needle for our clients- that's what matters. Real human creativity, strategic rigor, and business impact. That's BBDO.

Sunny Yeung, managing director and co-founder, Butter Creative

The real test of AI in 2027 will be whether audiences experience it as a smart strategic choice or a low-budget compromise. We have seen many pure AI campaigns and campaigns with heavy AI elements, and heading into 2027, it is better to think of using AI at the right moment, in the right way: not using it for the sake of it, but to achieve better outcomes. Engagement must still feel warm and human rather than cold and machine-like.

At Butter Creative, we have always believed in engagement-driven campaigns rather than just one-way messages. We prioritize formats where audiences actively choose to show up rather than being interrupted. That remains our key focus for 2027 - and AI, used well, gives us more ways to deliver it.

Rudi Leung, founder and director, Hungry Digital

AI will make efficiency cheaper. Human originality will become more valuable.

By 2027, AI will generate more ideas, images, and content than we could consume. I’ll keep exploring AI tools to amplify human creativity, not replace it. While much of our industry talks about using AI to cut costs, reduce headcount, and increase efficiency, I want to go the opposite way: invest more in people.

When everyone has access to the same technology, technology itself is no longer the advantage. People are.

The music we grew up with, films and shows we watched, books we read, places we travelled, people we met - even the mistakes we made - shape how we see the world. AI can mimic our styles, but it hasn’t lived our lives.

So my focus for 2027 is simple: don’t just train the machine. Invest in the humans who know what to do with it.

Christopher Lee, chief creative officer, Publicis Groupe Hong Kong

AI is here, and it’s here to stay. But AI itself will not be the game-changer.

For us, AI, and the proprietary tools we build with it, will amplify our creative ideas. That’s the vision behind HumanX ideas: human ideas amplified by AI.

All our teams are now AI-fluent. Going forward, we’ll use our own tech and data-backed operating models to uncover deeper insights for strategy, virtual focus groups to fine-tune ideas, and a Creative Operating System to streamline image rendering, storyboarding, and video production. Our tech team will continue building tools that improve production efficiency and enable personalisation at scale.

We will keep investing in technology that gives back our most important asset: time. Time to double down and focus on developing creative ideas that impact culture and solve real business problems.

HumanX ideas use technology, data, and AI to support and amplify ideas, experiences, and utilities at the speed of technology. So be on the lookout for what we come up with next!

Maggie Wong, CEO, VML HK

I see our industry entering one of its most fascinating chapters yet. Across brand experience, customer experience, media, and commerce, the real disruption isn't just about faster software or tools. It’s about changing human behaviour and how people interact with brands.

People are no longer scrolling endlessly to find products or answers. They are turning to conversational AI, voice assistants and recommendation engines to make decisions for them. In this environment, "being recommended" by a trusted source or algorithm is far more powerful than "being seen."

Meanwhile, we are facing an authenticity crisis. Synthetic video, AI-generated images and automated copy flood every feed. Consumers are developing a sharp filter for what feels artificial.

We use AI as an engine for speed and scale in production, but we should invest heavily where technology falls short i.e. in original human insights, local cultural fluency and deep emotional connection. In a world of automated content, the brands that win will be those that feel genuinely human.

Having access to AI tools is no longer a competitive advantage. It’s baseline table stakes. By 2027, our focus isn't on finding "new tools" for the sake of novelty. It is on tailoring and customising intelligence engines to deliver specific client business outcomes such as drastically reducing time-to-market, custom brand intelligence for better decision-making, activating complex analytics to drive commercial success.

If tech and data are accessible to everyone, what makes the difference? People. My primary focus is nurturing and empowering leaders who can orchestrate multiple disciplines, bringing together creatives, strategists, media planners, data scientists, customer experience and tech solutions specialists into a unified force.

Elevate your brand with cutting-edge AI, emerging tech, and data-driven experiences. Join 200+ marketing leaders at Digital Marketing Asia HK 2026 on 27–28 October to uncover game-changing trends, proven playbooks, and the bold strategies shaping the future of marketing.

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