With over 550 sessions, this year’s Advertising Week created a feeling of FOMO with great ease. It was simply massive and somewhat overwhelming. Over 20,000 people participated, and Ad Week scored with popular sessions featuring major brand CMOs and panels related to entertainment and influencers.

Key themes included the challenges and opportunities of AI, the importance of building consumer trust and the rise of authentic influencer and creator partnerships. The discussions also covered maximising value in connected TV (CTV) and the need for quality data signals.

The GenAI Creative Revolution: Redefining Brand Engagement Through AI and AR – Our Session with Snapchat and PMG

During Advertising Week, we joined Snap Inc. and PMG on the Creativity Stage to explore how Generative AI (GenAI) and Augmented Reality (AR) are reshaping the creative landscape.

The session, featuring Aarti Bhaskaran, Kara Louis, and Hannah Ward from Snap Inc., Matthias Rothensee from eye square, and Scott Everett from PMG, presented new global research on how GenAI-driven formats impact consumer attention and brand outcomes.

Based on insights from over 14,800 consumers across seven markets, the study revealed that GenAI-powered video ads and AR Lenses outperform static formats by driving stronger engagement, brand trust, and positive perception. Consumers view these formats as more innovative, entertaining, and premium, while transparency around AI usage significantly enhances credibility.

We see these findings as confirmation that technology can elevate, not replace, human creativity. Responsible use of GenAI empowers brands to connect more deeply with audiences and blends innovation with authenticity to create meaningful, emotionally resonant experiences.

Find out more about our joint research and the power of generative AI and augmented reality in marketing!

Sessions we attended to learn from Advertising Week 2025

Sessions on CTV First
The way in which LG uses the home screen to promote products. The average consumer spends nine minutes a day searching for shows. While browsing, consumers have a discovery mindset and are open to suggestions -making it the perfect spot to place an ad.

Tony Marlow from LG Ad Solutions asked if we are living in a CTV-first era. Greg Johns responded, “Consumers are making this choice for us, not marketers.”

Sessions on the use of AI and data
Mars is using AI to understand the role of non-paid media in its brand building.

The homescreen is a hot media investment. Gulen Bengi explained how Mars Snacking uses AI to boost sales via organic content, citing a Snickers ad that prompted a chat between Justin Timberlake and Michael Phelps.

NVIDIAs session highlighted the role of AI in revealing hidden consumer behaviours and moving beyond traditional segmentation.

Meta’s sales AI impresses by being available 24/7, learning from enquiries to spot common questions and loss of interest. It uses these insights to improve ad campaigns. The AI learns continuously from every enquiry, enhancing sales strategies over time.

Sessions on creators in advertising
Snap joined industry leaders to explore how innovation, authenticity and creativity are reshaping the marketing landscape. One example is sponsored content on Snap Inc., which is a new era of social communication.

Mary Ann Belliveau from Snap and two Love Island participants discussed the new ad format. Their panels sparked conversations on data-driven insights, the cultural momentum behind women’s sports and the evolving role of creators.

Sessions on the digital and live experiences
Jo Fox from ESPN explained how their IRL activation campaign uses physical spaces to promote a digital product.

PBS show “The Weather Hunters” extends from TV into real life with physical books and museum nights.

Hands-on advice from the hosts of the successful “Morbid” podcast, which now extends into videos on YouTube and TikTok.

Key Industry Predictions we gathered at Ad Week

Questions? Contact the eye square Brand & Media team

Brand & Media Research

Stefan Schönherr, a psychology-trained brand and media specialist at Eye Square, has been a partner since 2018. His expertise includes media consulting, advertising impact, and media reception. He conducts studies on media genres, formats, and creative performance, and leads global studies on creator ads’ impact in social marketing.

Dr. Matthias Rothensee is a renowned expert in media research, multivariate statistics, and AI, known for developing automated test platforms and dashboards. He has designed award-winning studies and optimized communication for clients like Deutsche Telekom, Stepstone, and MediaMarktSaturn.