The Woman Who Walked Soho: New IPA President and BBH CEO Celebrates Commercial Creativity

Karen Martin unveils her new IPA agenda designed to revitalise UK advertising

By Creative Salon

New IPA president and CEO of BBH, Karen Martin, has announced her agenda designed to revitalise UK advertising, and celebrate the immense value creativity brings to business success, the economy and British culture.

To launch her manifesto, Martin took to the streets of Soho in homage to the iconic Johnnie Walker ad, also created by BBH London and directed by Jamie Rafn, and featuring Robert Carlyle walking the highlights of Scotland.

In her trademark leopard print, Martin reflected on the pivotal role creativity plays in shaping the industry and the immense value it brings to the economy, and British culture.

In a passionate address to the industry Martin set out the critical need to put creativity back at the core of business. Her speech also highlighted key challenges facing the ad industry today, including short-term thinking, over-reliance on AI, and a disconnect from the very thing that drives the industry forward: human creativity.

‘The Woman Who Walked Soho’ features cameos with creative leaders from across the industry including Nick Gill, Shelley Smoler, Rick Brim, Felipe Serradourada Guimaraes, Lynsey Atkin, Ana Balarin, Hermeti Balarin, Nils Leonard, Jules Chalkley, Ant Nelson, Mark Elwood, Noel Bunting, Alex Grieve, Genevieve Gransden, Selma Ahmed, Nils Leonard and Sir John Hegarty.

With the creative sector supporting four million jobs across the UK and contributing an essential £40bn to the economy, Martin emphasised in her address that “creativity, when applied to big business problems, drives big business impacts.”

The industry has, however, lost focus, according to Martin: “We’ve got lost in short termism, AI, mega mergers, budget pressures and regulatory constraints.”

She also cited recent industry insights from the BetterBriefs’ report, produced in partnership with the IPA and WFA, which highlighted that inefficiencies in processes, poor feedback, and weak briefs are undermining the potential for creative excellence.

Karen Martin’s vision for the future: Four key initiatives :

As part of the mission to reignite creativity, Martin unveiled a four-pronged approach to celebrate, train, attract and reward creative minds across the industry:

1. Celebrating human creativity

Martin announced that the IPA will bring creative directors onto its Council board, ensuring that those who fuel the industry’s growth and drive its success have a seat at the table.

The new president also called for a renewed focus on celebrating human creativity, urging the industry to balance the incredible potential of AI with the irreplaceable value of human-driven creative thinking. “AI has the incredible potential to augment, to scale and to personalise. But we should always ask the question: Should we be using it to create where a human hand could have done the same?”

2. Training the next generation of creatives

Recognising the need for world-class training for creatives, Martin revealed the professional body will be launching the IPA Creative Essentials Certificate. This new programme will provide emerging talent with the tools and insights to succeed in the industry.

Additionally, bespoke training will be introduced to help creatives better evaluate ideas, provide constructive feedback, and protect creative concepts from inception through execution.

3. Attracting more diverse creative talent

Martin also announced plans to expand Barn, launched by BBH in 2021 - the first and only ad school based inside an agency and now one of the most successful creative advertising courses in the country.

Barn offers an accessible route into the industry for students from different backgrounds, paying them the London Living Wage and helping to break down barriers and open doors to under-represented talent. Over the next two years, the programme will increase its intake of students and collaborate with more partner agencies to ensure the industry reflects a broader range of voices and perspectives.

4. Rewarding creative excellence

Martin will introduce a new creative category as part of the prestigious IPA Effectiveness Awards. The award will recognise the vital role of creativity in driving business success and celebrate the people behind the work that delivers tangible results.

In a final rallying cry, Martin issued a call to action for all members to take ownership of creativity within their roles. “This is about everyone who touches creative. From media to research to strategy and production. It may not be in everyone’s job description, but it’s certainly everyone’s responsibility.”

Martin also called on the advertising community to embrace its power and influence, with a renewed focus on influencing a more sustainable future and taking pride in the value it can contribute.

“Over the next two years, I will be on a mission to fiercely protect, nurture and champion creativity in all its forms. Let’s put it at the heart of everything we do. Because it isn’t a nice to have. It’s all we have.”

Says Paul Bainsfair, director general of the IPA: “We’re absolutely delighted to welcome Karen Martin as the new President of the IPA. In these challenging times, there’s no one better suited - with her intellect and passion - to lead our industry toward an agenda that is crucial for the future of our business.

"Creativity is our superpower. It comes at challenges from a fresh and unexpected perspective often using deceptively simple ideas to move markets. By fostering creativity in all its forms, I believe Karen’s agenda will unlock enormous potential and growth, both within our business and beyond."

Past IPA Presidents

1917 L O Johnson

1925 P de G Benson, CBE

1929 R J Sykes

1931 L G Jackson

1932 J Strong

1933 R Winter Thomas

1934 R J Sykes

1937 Sir William Crawford, KBE

1940 Norman Moore

1945 C Harold Vernon

1948 Hugh T Appleton