Trapped in the Busyness, Not the Business of Advertising: Dr Pepe Marais
In our IMC Conference series, we reconnected with Dr Pepe Marais, Co-Founder and Group Chief Creative Officer of Joe Public, two years after our last conversation.He believes the industry remains “trapped in the busyness, not the business of advertising.” Agencies, he says, are producing hundreds of assets a month, leaving little time for ideas that last. “We’ve got the talent, but not the time to think.”Pepe calls for a reset — fewer, better ideas, more time for strategy, and trust between brands and agencies to create lasting impact. Conversation highlights:93% of advertising fails, Dr Pepe Marais explains why.Advertising’s short-term crisis.AI as a tool for time.Trust enables creative excellence.Reclaiming time for thinking.___________________________The Lead Creative Podcast is available on:AppleSpotifyYouTubeFollow us on:LinkedInFacebookXInstagramSend us mail!Support the showBuy us coffee here to help us grow.Follow us for more on:YouTubeLinkedInInstagramSend us mail! Make a donation to Threads for Ikasi, a foundation that provides school uniforms, dignity packs and other essentials to children in townships, rural areas and under-resourced communities. To support them, go to: https://threadsforikasi.org Support the showBuy us coffee here to help us grow. Follow us for more on: YouTube LinkedIn Instagram
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The Loeries Measures More Than Advertising and Marketing Trends: Preetesh Sewraj
At the IMC Conference, Preetesh Sewraj, CEO of The Loeries, joined Mongezi Mtati to discuss whether the creative industry has too many awards, echoing the same sentiment shared by Chris Borain, CEO of IAB South Africa and The Bookmarks Awards.Conversation highlightsToo many awards, not enough purposeThe Loeries as a research benchmarkFewer awards, higher creative standardsTrust and bravery in creativityCollaboration drives better brand outcomes___________________________The Lead Creative Podcast is available on:AppleSpotifyYouTubeFollow us on:LinkedInFacebookXInstagramSend us mail! Support the showBuy us coffee here to help us grow. Follow us for more on: YouTube LinkedIn Instagram
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The Bookmarks and Why Boring Advertising is Costly
Award-winning creativity takes courage, trust, and deep insight. In this episode of The Lead Creative with Bizcommunity, Steph van Niekerk (ECD, TBWA\Hunt Lascaris) and Carl Willoughby (CCO, TBWA\Hunt Lascaris and Chair of Creative Circle SA) unpack what makes campaigns like City Lodge’s Save Our Stay (SOS) and Savanna #TryJanuary stand out.They discuss why brave client partnerships matter, how humour and humanity connect with audiences, and why boring work is the most expensive kind.What you’ll learn:Creativity costs less than average workHow trust drives braveryInsight makes humour powerfulGlobal standards start with local truth_____________The Lead Creative Podcast is available on:AppleSpotifyYouTubeFollow us on:LinkedInFacebookXInstagramThis episode was edited by Maishe Mo AfrikaSend us mail! Make a donation to Threads for Ikasi, a foundation that provides school uniforms, dignity packs and other essentials to children in townships, rural areas and under-resourced communities. To support them, go to: https://threadsforikasi.org Support the showBuy us coffee here to help us grow. Follow us for more on: YouTube LinkedIn Instagram
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Conspicuous by Design: Why Standing Out Wins in Marketing and Advertising
At the IMC Conference, Dean Oelschig, Founder and MD of Halo, discusses creative bravery, the rise of independent agencies, and how Halo’s new agency, Second Rodeo, bridges brand and performance. He shares how fear and process hold back great work, and why Out of Home still drives results. This episode was produced in collaboration with Soweto Media. ___________________________The Lead Creative Podcast is available on:AppleSpotifyYouTubeFollow us on:LinkedInFacebookXInstagramSend us mail! Support the showBuy us coffee here to help us grow. Follow us for more on: YouTube LinkedIn Instagram
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Awarding Creative Excellence and Rewarding Effectiveness
Great work still matters and it’s being recognised. Chris Borain, Executive Director of IAB South Africa, shares how The Bookmarks celebrate creative excellence that delivers real results.He also unpacks the challenges facing the industry: shrinking budgets, programmatic advertising wastage and the overuse of AI. As pressure mounts, he argues for smarter collaboration, sharper integration and a return to work that actually works. We also discuss:Why awarding creative excellence still mattersProgrammatic waste and missed opportunitiesHow AI is reshaping cost modelsThe value of insight and integration in creative success___________________________The Lead Creative Podcast is available on:AppleSpotifyYouTubeFollow us on:LinkedInFacebookXInstagramThis episode was edited by Maishe Mo AfrikaSend us mail! Make a donation to Threads for Ikasi, a foundation that provides school uniforms, dignity packs and other essentials to children in townships, rural areas and under-resourced communities. To support them, go to: https://threadsforikasi.org Support the showBuy us coffee here to help us grow. Follow us for more on: YouTube LinkedIn Instagram
The Lead Creative podcast hosts a series of conversations with great minds behind some of the leading brands, businesses, organisations and top ideas that we all love. From advertising thought leaders, forward-thinking brand leaders, innovative digital marketing minds to content creators - the podcast gives into what makes the world engage with some of the top brands. Founded and hosted by Mongezi Mtati, the podcast shares analysis, trends, and strategic intelligence.
South Africa