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Advertising is fragmenting faster than ever — but does that mean the big brand ad is dead? In this episode of Hard Refresh, host Andrés López-Varela is joined by Amber Martin (Founding Partner, Hypnosis), Dean Hunt (Founding Creative Partner, Chapter), and Mike Drysdale (Creative Strategist, Folklore) to map the future of advertising.
They debate whether creativity and craft can survive in a world of 584 formats, how agencies redefine their value beyond “outputs,” and if advertising can still lead culture — or if entrepreneurs and communities are now setting the pace .
They debate whether creativity and craft can survive in a world of 584 formats, how agencies redefine their value beyond “outputs,” and if advertising can still lead culture — or if entrepreneurs and communities are now setting the pace .
In this episode:
- Creativity as the constant
Amber insists that amid budget splits and fragmented channels, big creative ideas remain the force that makes sense of it all and the glue holding brand building together. - The return of brand platforms
Dean argues that we’ve come full circle: long-term brand thinking and human insight are back, and the best new work often feels “a bit nineties, in a good way”. - Agencies out of the output game
Mike warns that commoditised outputs and AI are forcing agencies to reposition as problem-solvers, not producers. Amber backs this up, saying agencies that don’t elevate will be shortchanging their value. - Big brand ads still matter - if crafted well
The Telstra “whistling” campaign and Bear Meets Eagle examples show that storytelling and craft can ripple across TikTok and TV alike when the idea resonates. - Australian advertising’s edge
From the Matildas’ galvanising patriotism to Bluey’s cultural export, the panel explores what’s uniquely Australian about advertising that connects deeply with audiences. - Who leads culture now?
Mike challenges the table: advertising isn’t leading culture anymore, entrepreneurs and communities are. The others argue agencies still have a role if they get out of their glass towers and reconnect with people.
This episode was recorded on the traditional lands of the Whadjuk Noongar people, live at State of Social '25.
Creators and Guests
Host
Guest
Amber Martin
Amber Martin left Perth roughly 16 years ago with a suitcase full of ambition and zero plans to play it safe. Since then, she’s made her mark in Sydney, Singapore, London, and Amsterdam – including stints at the legendary Wieden+Kennedy. She’s led Nike across EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa), brought gamers to the front row with EA Sports, and helped Air New Zealand sound like, well, New Zealand. The brands she’s worked on are big, but her ego isn’t. Amber’s one of those rare people who makes advertising better – sharp, down-to-earth, and seriously good at what she does. Now she’s back in Perth, and co-founded Hypnosis – pouring global smarts into a homegrown agency that’s here to do things differently.
Guest
Dean Hunt
Dean is a multidisciplined creative leader with 20-plus years of experience working on national and global brands. He has worked in London, Sydney, and Perth. Dean thinks long-term and creates brand platforms that cut through. He has worked with some of the world’s biggest brands including Toyota, Nike, Coca-Cola, Compare the market, Tourism WA, WA Police, and many more. His work has been awarded locally and globally at D&AD, CANNES, AWARD, PADCS, IPA EFFECTIVENESS and many more.
What is Hard Refresh?
Discover what’s in store for us in the next 25 years of digital marketing and how the first 25 years of this century shaped our industry (and the world), in Hard Refresh.
This limited 10-episode series from Australia’s best marketing conference, State of Social, looks ahead at what trends, technologies, cultural shifts, and maybe even controversies, will define digital marketing over the next 25 years. Andrés López-Varela (a.k.a. ALV), one of Australia's most experienced marketing educators, is joined by a cast of industry leaders picked from the ranks of this year's State of Social speakers to unearth what's next for digital marketing.
Join them as they press F5 to discover a refreshed perspective on everything from the next evolution in social media to the role of marketing in culture, from the future of digital audio to the changing role of online video, from the era-defining impacts of AI and automation to the brave new world for marketing agencies, and much more.
Hard Refresh is recorded and produced on the traditional lands of the Whadjuk Noongar people, the Awabakal people and the Gadigal People of the Eora Nation.