Will Australia embrace digital creativity with AI, or fall into mediocrity?
Despite Australians being highly valued for our creative work, most digital assets in the market fall well short - aiming for conversions rather than art.
Vinne Schifferstein Vidal, managing director, Made This, argues that AI offers a fresh opportunity to reembrace creativity - but warns it could also lead to more blandness.
Australia boasts a stellar reputation in the digital creative world, with our work consistently ranking high in international awards, alongside the US, UK, and select European nations.
Our creative talent is undeniable, and we often hear that we’re punching above our weight on the international stage. But here’s the catch: most digital assets hitting the market aren’t award-winning masterpieces. They’re the same old conversion-driven ads cluttering our social feeds.
Why? Because these pieces prioritise media ROI over true effectiveness and brand value. Craft often takes a back seat, especially in a pragmatic culture like Australia’s. Compare this to Italy, where beauty and taste are woven into daily life. Online, our creativity can feel a bit, well, bland.
Budget constraints play a big role. While regional European and US budgets are often more substantial, Australian marketers must make tough decisions. More often than not, funds are funneled into the “Big Idea” that gets transformed into a TV commercial, with the digital rollout receiving a fraction of the budget. This often results in basic adaptations and cutdowns.
We’ve all seen it: after the strategy, creative and TVC are locked, whatever production budget remains gets stretched to cover digital. The result? Stock images, placeholder copy, interchangeable assets. Functional, yes. Memorable, no.
For most Australian SMEs, the story is even tougher. Limited budgets mean relying on freelancers or in-house talent, which can lead to uninspired outputs, particularly in the B2B space. Yes, there are pleasant surprises, but sameness often prevails. While tools like Canva, Wix, and Squarespace are game-changers for accessibility, they also risk pushing sameness when everything looks and feels… templated.
Canva can either boost or kill creativity.
Enter AI: A double-edged sword
AI presents a huge opportunity—for both scale and creativity. Used well, it can supercharge production and open up new creative possibilities. But if we approach it with the same mindset we’ve applied to uninspired digital rollouts, we’re headed for a deluge of mediocre, lookalike content.
AI should not be a shortcut to more of the same. It should be a platform for innovation. When wielded by creatives with taste, it can elevate ideas and allow them to flourish across formats and channels—not just TV-first thinking.
Look at the work of AI artists like Phil Langer or closer to home, Dani Asensio. They’re not just prompting; they’re crafting. And that’s the key. Technical proficiency isn’t enough. Taste, storytelling, and emotional intelligence still lead.
As you can see, embracing AI effectively hinges on taste. Technical prompt engineers will not be our next generation creatives. Only by honing craft and aesthetic sensibility can we create assets that excel in both media ROI and brand impact. Europe and the US have a burgeoning community of AI artists.
While Australia risks falling behind if we don’t build a community of AI-literate creatives who understand both the tools and the artistry. We need people with backgrounds in art direction, VFX, fashion, design and arts to start experimenting, playing, and pushing boundaries.
Those with taste and eye for craft are beautifully positioned to rise to the occasion and make sure Australia doesn’t stay behind. One thing we know for sure is that there’s no single tool that can do what’s required to create work that moves people emotionally. It’s a blend of tools that’s needed and most importantly the human touch using those tools.
Vinne Schifferstein Vidal
But it’s not just about the makers and creatives
Client conversations need to evolve too. Right now, the focus is too often on the tools themselves, when the real question should be: What are we trying to make people feel? Effectiveness still matters. Craft still matters. The method of creation has changed, but the goals haven’t.
Account teams need to understand what’s possible. The commercial conversations will change, and account services should get their head around what’s possible with AI to understand what the impact on the business model is. Producers must re-skill to handle new timelines, workflows, and ways of collaborating. The whole model is shifting—and the industry needs to shift with it.
Australia has the talent. We’ve proven that time and time again. Now we need to step up—embrace the tools, stay focused on the craft, and lead the next wave of (digital) creativity with work that’s not just efficient, but truly effective.
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