As artificial intelligence (AI) takes an increasingly prominent role in advertising, a critical question confronts the creative industry: will the technology eventually render advertising agencies redundant, or will it redefine the value they bring to brands?

With AI now capable of generating campaign ideas, images, films and other creative materials within minutes, agencies face growing pressure to prove that their expertise goes beyond content production.

For Bethel Obioma, Head of Corporate Communications at Sahara Group, the answer lies not in resisting the technology but in reinventing agency capabilities, harnessing AI and strengthening the human creativity, cultural intelligence and strategic judgement that keep their services indispensable to advertising.

He explained that creative agencies face a defining moment as artificial intelligence (AI) reshapes advertising production, consumer engagement and brand communication, but their survival will depend on how effectively they adapt without sacrificing human creativity, cultural intelligence and originality.

This was his  position  he advanced by Bethel Obioma as he  challenged advertising professionals to rethink their business models, embrace emerging technologies and develop stronger capabilities to remain relevant in an increasingly AI-driven industry.

Speaking at the 2026 Annual Brands and Marketing Conference organised by the Brand Journalists Association of Nigeria (BJAN) in Lagos, Obioma maintained that AI would not make creative agencies obsolete. Rather, it would expose the limitations of agencies that fail to redefine their relevance and demonstrate the distinctive value they bring to brands.

With the conference themed, “Advertising in Nigeria & AI: Who Needs Creative Agencies Anyways?”, the Sahara Group executive argued that the growing accessibility of AI-powered creative tools had fundamentally changed the economics and processes of advertising.

Through these technologies, individuals and organisations can now produce campaign concepts, films, images, advertisements and other communication materials within remarkably short periods. Nevertheless, he cautioned that producing content quickly does not necessarily translate into meaningful communication, originality or lasting audience connections.

Against this backdrop, Obioma identified reinvention as the most important response available to creative agencies, urging practitioners to continually reassess their purpose, methods, delivery channels and timing as technology and consumer expectations evolve.

He encouraged advertising professionals, brand managers and students to approach AI as an opportunity to strengthen their capabilities rather than a threat to their existence, pointing out that the technology could become a powerful creative resource when properly understood and deployed.

However, he warned that excessive dependence on AI could gradually erode the distinctive identities of agencies and the brands they serve.

“If you rely on AI alone, you’re going to lose your voice,” he cautioned.

Beyond the speed and volume of content AI can generate, Obioma explained that human judgement would become an increasingly important differentiator in the creative industry. According to him, agencies must possess the expertise to assess competing ideas, identify the most appropriate concepts and determine which creative solutions deserve investment.

Illustrating this responsibility, he asked: “AI will give you hundreds of ideas, but who tells which one deserves the client’s money? It has to be you.”

Equally important, he highlighted cultural intelligence as an area where creative professionals must maintain a clear advantage, particularly in Nigeria and across Africa, where successful advertising depends heavily on understanding local experiences, social realities, consumer behaviour and cultural sensitivities.

“AI can give you everything, but AI cannot give you the nuances,” he said, insisting that agencies must develop a deeper appreciation of the communities, audiences and cultural environments surrounding the brands they represent.

Furthermore, Obioma challenged agencies to examine the distinctiveness of their creative output in a digital environment increasingly saturated with content. He urged practitioners to look beyond production volume and consider whether their work possesses recognisable characteristics capable of establishing meaningful connections with consumers.

“If we took out your logo, would anyone still recognise your work?” he queried.

He also questioned whether the growing speed of content production was translating into genuine audience engagement, arguing that creative agencies must demonstrate the relevance, effectiveness and measurable value of their work rather than simply celebrate the number of materials they produce.

Reinforcing his position, Obioma declared that the industry was not witnessing the disappearance of creative agencies but the decline of outdated agency models that no longer reflect the demands of contemporary advertising.

“The creative agency is not disappearing. The old definition of agency is what’s disappearing,” he stated.

Consequently, he called for a broader understanding of agency value, built around creativity, cultural intelligence, strategic judgement, trust, governance and effective measurement. He maintained that these capabilities would distinguish agencies that successfully integrate AI into their operations from those that merely use technology to increase content production.

Demonstrating how reinvention could shape brand communication, Obioma cited Sahara Group’s 30th anniversary campaign as an example of applying creative thinking to corporate storytelling.

He explained that the organisation developed the concept, “Beyond XXX”, using the Roman numeral XXX, which represents 30, to connect the anniversary milestone with a broader message about its aspirations. Rather than focusing exclusively on three decades of achievements, the concept communicated the company’s ambition to move beyond its existing accomplishments and continue pursuing greater possibilities.

The example illustrated his argument that effective communication requires more than the production of creative materials; it demands an understanding of the message, its context and the meaning audiences should take away from it.