Recently, Mark Read stepped down as advertising behemoth WPP’s global CEO, and a not-so-secret reason murmured in industry circles was the network’s inability to truly embrace AI in its marketing and creative DNA.
And if the world’s largest agency network is feeling the AI heat, where does that leave Indian marketers and agencies?
Well, if you go by the noise at advertising conferences, everyone and his aunt is using AI to revolutionise the way we work — dig a little deeper, and you will see it’s mostly to do what low-paid or unpaid interns did anyway. Look for synonyms of ‘immersive’, for example, on ChatGPT. Or get 50 logo options.
There is part-excitement, part-denial, and a whole lot of “work in progress”.
Here’s my take on what’s happening in advertising in the last year — the AI hype, the hope and the real work.
Hesitation at the top
Indian advertising has wasted no time putting (free) AI to work where it’s easiest: writing basic code, routine data analysis, crafting ad copy, editing short videos, generating basic visuals, segmenting audiences, and running performance campaigns.
But when it comes to fundamentally rethinking strategy, brand-building, or CX through AI, the enthusiasm thins out. Many leaders love to showcase their team’s AI experiments at conferences, but few have embedded AI deep into their brand vision or marketing playbook.
Maybe it’s an age thing — there is major FOMO, but the leaders are not ready yet — until someone else demonstrates revenue first.
Playing catch-up
The big legacy networks — WPP India, Publicis, Dentsu, and McCann — are setting up AI labs and partnerships. Yet, much of this feels reactive, designed to tick the box rather than drive innovation.
In contrast, smaller, nimbler, digital-first agencies like Schbang, Influns, CyberMedia and Interactive Avenues are already using AI for dynamic creative optimisation, video personalisation, and rapid content production. Setting up longer-term supply chains, that is.
Legacy agencies have the client rosters and scale, but lack the agility and AI-native mindset these younger players bring.
Resistance
In many agencies, AI adoption is happening in silos. Media and tech teams embrace it, while traditional creative leadership remains suspicious or disengaged — the Piyushes and the Prasoons and the Balkis, that is. I’ve read so many funny articles mocking AI on LinkedIn — all by 50-plus creative directors... it’s not funny.
Many creative directors still view AI as a threat to craftsmanship — or, worse, job security. This resistance ensures that AI is often used tactically, but not strategically. Until agency leadership bridges this cultural gap, expect more fragmented progress.
Success story
One bright spot is AI-driven language marketing. Indian brands are using AI for voice cloning, dynamic translation, and synthetic video generation in multiple languages, enabling scale that was unimaginable just a few years ago.
For once, Indian marketers aren’t just copying Western trends — they’re solving a uniquely Indian problem with AI, and doing it well. (Though only 80 per cent accurate for now.)
Roadblocks
It’s also about how much data brands want to share with the agency. There is a trust deficit.
AI thrives on clean, structured data — and that’s precisely where many Indian marketers struggle. CRM systems are often riddled with inconsistencies, and customer data sits in disconnected silos. Add growing privacy concerns under the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, and brands are understandably cautious about going all-in on AI-driven personalisation. This is not a technology issue; it’s a data governance and readiness issue.
Leadership gap
In most Indian agencies and marketing teams, AI ownership is scattered across tech, data, media, and digital functions. Very few organisations have an AI-first leader driving vision and integration. Without this clarity, AI risks becoming a string of isolated pilots rather than a transformative force.
Obviously the CEO should drive this, but it is missing. Maybe ad agencies should get an AI Officer? Brands like Mondelez India (‘Not Just a Cadbury Ad’ with SRK), HUL (precision marketing at scale), Titan, and Airtel are showing what’s possible. Some progressive digital agencies like Schbang and Interactive Avenues are also leading the charge.
Legacy creative agencies are still on the edge of the AI pool, with one toe dipped in. Banking, financial services, and insurance (BFSI) brands excel at backend AI but rarely apply it to customer experience. And government/ public sector unit marketers have yet to leverage AI for localisation and citizen engagement in any meaningful way — though Bhashini (the multilingual translation engine) is one of the big successes.
‘Active Experiment’ mode
To be fair, Indian marketers aren’t ignoring AI. But many are stuck in an “actively experimenting” mode while global players build AI-first marketing engines.
The opportunity is huge — India’s mobile-first, multilingual market is perfectly suited for AI-driven creativity and personalisation.
What’s needed is vision, leadership, and the courage to go beyond the safety of pilots and labs. As the WPP shake-up reminds us, the real risk today isn’t in using AI. It’s in failing to use it boldly enough.
Hurry up, please — it’s time.
(Shubho Sengupta is a digital marketer with an analogue past)