Leading agency VCCP created headlines earlier in the year when it launched AI agency, Faith, with Sage as a founding client.
In this episode of Waypointers, Faith’s innovation director Peter Gasston explains why VCCP took the decision to make this major investment in technology and what the journey has been like so far.
Interestingly Peter explains that the impetus was largely led by the creative department within VCCP who were increasingly experimenting with generative AI tools of their own accord. Rather than seeing these tools as a threat, they saw that they could deliver efficiencies, doing some of the work that no one really wants to do, so that people can focus on creative activities that need a human at the heart.
One of Peter’s key learnings is that unless you’re there in the thick of it, trying things out in real life, you’re never going to understand the full capabilities of the tools that are currently available. Peter brings this to life with some great examples – did you know that AI image generator Midjourney cannot come up with an image of two middle-aged European men kissing each other on the cheek – a very standard greeting? Nor did Peter and his team until they tried.
And it’s not just about efficiencies, Peter also explains how AI can stimulate creative thinking, driving creative people to be even more creative.
In a world that’s moving as fast as generative AI, nothing is set in stone and planning cycles are 90 days at most. Something that’s true today might be redundant in a month’s time. That’s why this conversation is so deeply engaging – the journey Peter and his team have embarked on is like nothing they’ve ever experience before in their careers.
Click below to listen to this fascinating conversation between Peter and Waypoint’s tech lead and partner, Martin Ward.
Published 29th November 2023