Five Things We Learned About...The Creator Economy From D&AD Festival

Around 50 per cent of Gen Z say they want to be influencers - making it one of the generation’s most sought-after jobs. The shift, which sees more people than ever before blend passion with entrepreneurship and creativity, is becoming impossible to escape.

UK smartphone users spend over 49 hours each month on TikTok. And from Stanley cups to running trainers, creators and influencers are bringing the money in: Goldman Sachs predicts the creator economy could reach nearly half a trillion dollars by 2027.

Recognising just how much the creator economy has transformed the world of marketing, the long-standing, craft-focused D&AD Awards introduced a creator economy category.

The aim? To celebrate work that shows an exceptional ability to use creator-generated content to get across brand messages, without conflating it with simply using influencers.

The Yellow Pencil winner was Ramo’s ‘Blurred Unboxing’ by The Juju which tapped into one of Colombia's top influencers, Savlon’s ‘Handwash Legends’ by Ogilvy India, which played on hip hop culture to offer up a purpose-driven message, and ‘Malekus.The Last 600’ for The Rainforest Lab by Havas Costa Rica both picked up graphite pencils, meanwhile Sheba’s ‘The Gravy Race’ for Mars Pet by AMV BBDO was among those to pick up a wooden pencil.

“You can and should use creators in so many ways that lumping it into the social category makes it really challenging for judges to decide what’s award-winning work. So, it was such a great experience to see the awards signal to the industry that creators are so much more than a TikTok post,” explains VML’s EMEA chief social officer Christina Miller who sat in the jury room.

Speaking at D&AD Festival she explains that the jury was made up of a mixture of creator-side talent managers who interact on a day-to-day basis and agency-side individuals like herself who work more closely with brands.

Miller joined fellow jury members Nigerian DJ, entrepreneur and broadcaster Bobai Balat, and head of TikTok’s Global Creative Lab Karl Haddad as part of a panel to discuss key case studies and what stood out to them during the process.

• Don't Lose Authenticity

Discussing cake brand Ramo's 'Blurred Unboxing' which saw Colombian influencer Pugliato open a box with a surprise football shirt, and blurred out the logo, Miller praised the connection with his personal story.

"It was something that was authentic and really meant something to him in his community, and that's a signal of great creative work," she says.

"I think it's great for the creator category and truly a testament to the power of creators, him choosing to take that box and create a video out of it and go viral from that and turn it into a multi-faceted campaign outcome."

• It shouldn't be just another form of user-generated content

It was crucial to draw a distinction between user-generated-content made by everyday users, and more intentional creator led content. 

Miller says the consensus was that if the work could exist without the creator then “it probably didn’t belong in this category”.

Balat adds: "There were examples of brands taking their SuperBowl ads and making them into short form content on TikTok. A lot of these were high quality but unable to connect with audiences".

• Collaboration, collaboration, collaboration

Miller explains that creators are treating brands with more scrutiny. More creators are protective of their identity and reputation. It is more common for creators to reject offers that don’t align with their personal brand and community.

“They’re scrutinising their relationships more and more. In the past if you wanted to work with a creator, especially as a big brand and you’re paying them money - they’d be like “hands down”. But it has become more on trend for creators to say ‘no, it doesn’t fit who I am, it doesn’t fit my community”.

Miller adds that creators should have a seat at the table in a similar way to creative directors - “If they don’t then they’re just being treated as talent working in more traditional settings. We always find that when you invite a creator who you’re creating a piece of work with and for to collaborate and be part of that creative process it turns out so much better,” she continues.

• Start gently and be inventive

Miller says that a key opportunity created by the creator economy is the efficiency and flexibility of options from large influencers to creators in niche spaces.

“You don’t have to blow a TVC budget on partnering with a micro-creator who can ultimately drive some serious business results for your brand. But if you dedicate a little bit of budget into understanding how much is too much, how much is too little, what are you comfortable with? This can help ease clients in”

Discussing Sheba's 'The Gravy Race' - Haddad highlighted the "high entertainment value" in blending influencer cats with sports culture in a creative and entertaining way that fitted the brand's values.

•    ‘Fixed and flex guidelines’

Attention-guzzling short-form shapes culture at a pace most major brands struggle to match - modern micro-trends last just three to five months, but brands have layers of hierarchies and tight processes designed to promote consistency and protect their reputation.

"We often talk about a fixed and flex model, and so you have fixed guidelines that are mandatory - for example, you might say no profanity," explains Miller.

"But then there are things that you allow the creator to go and have fun with in their own way," she adds.