James Mulvey, Head of Content at Motion, dives into the creative trends shaping direct-to-consumer advertising. He highlights that ads are evolving to be faster, funnier, and embracing low-fi aesthetics. A significant 71% of advertisers are set to increase their use of AI, while 68% are turning to user-generated content. POV storytelling is on the rise, emphasizing authenticity. Mulvey discusses the challenge of marrying humor with authentic narratives, showcasing how popular media influences creator strategies.
Humor in advertising significantly boosts engagement, with 25% of top-spending ads effectively incorporating comedic elements to enhance sales.
A growing trend emphasizes authenticity through User-Generated Content and lo-fi aesthetics, allowing brands to create more relatable and genuine connections with audiences.
Deep dives
The Importance of Humor in Advertising
Using humor in advertising is shown to be a highly effective strategy, with research indicating that 25% of the top spending ads incorporate comedic elements. This aligns with historical evidence suggesting that funny ads can significantly enhance sales, as humor resonates powerfully with audiences. However, many brands still shy away from implementing this tactic, citing challenges in executing humor effectively. To address this, brands are encouraged to prioritize hiring creative talent skilled in crafting humorous content to elevate engagement and connection with their consumer base.
The Rise of Authentic Storytelling
A trend towards authenticity is emerging in advertising, with brands moving away from polished AI-generated content to more genuine, human-centered narratives. Marketers recognize the value of User-Generated Content (UGC) but seek to enhance its authenticity by investing in high-energy creators who can deliver compelling first-person stories. This shift reflects a desire to stand out in a saturated market where AI is prevalent, with 68% of advertisers planning to increase their use of UGC. By focusing on real experiences and relatable storytelling, brands aim to forge deeper connections with audiences and differentiate themselves.
The Lo-Fi Squeeze: Embracing Minimalism
The lo-fi trend in advertising signifies a shift towards minimalistic presentations that prioritize genuine engagement over high production values. This approach encourages advertisers to create content that aligns with the escapism sought by audiences, where less polished videos resonate more with viewers. By reducing cognitive load and simplifying messaging, brands can effectively capture attention and communicate without the aggressive hooks typically seen in marketing. This trend emphasizes the power of authenticity and relatability, allowing advertisements to blend seamlessly into social feeds while still delivering value.
Layering Perspectives for Creative Strategy
A strategic approach involving multiple perspectives—brand, customer, and expert—emerges as crucial for effective advertising in 2025. This method allows for a diverse range of content that resonates with different audience segments on various platforms, ensuring that messaging is tailored and relevant. This layer of complexity enriches creative output and enhances personalization in marketing efforts. By understanding and adapting to the unique needs of each consumer group, brands can optimize their advertising strategies and improve overall engagement.
Head of Content James Mulvey joins the show to discuss Motion’s latest creative trends report, which analyzed over $100M+ in ad spend across platforms to extract top creative insights. Listen now to catch the highlights and learn how breakthrough ads are getting faster, funnier, and uglier.
71% of advertisers plan to increase their use of AI in the coming year.
68% of advertisers plan to increase their use of UGC in the coming year.
POV storytelling is on the rise – from entertainment to advertising.
[00:15:10] “Authenticity and humor can be very difficult to marry.” – Brian
[00:15:15] “–Especially if you’re not funny.” – James
[00:21:30] “Popular media drives creator notions.” – Phillip
[00:33:50] “The native platform experts are absorbing the source code, and then they're bringing that into the creative team…we all doomscroll to try to stay relevant, but it’d be awesome to have someone who’s job is to do this.” – James