In honor of World Creativity and Innovation Day, we’re celebrating the power of creative thinking and the groundbreaking new ideas that are shaping the future of advertising.

At FCB, innovation is at the core of who we are and everything that we do. Whether it’s through embracing emerging technologies, experimenting with new formats, or reimagining what’s possible, we are Never Finished in our pursuit of innovation and finding new ways to fuel our creative fires.

We’ve asked creative minds across the network to reflect on how innovation shapes their work and empowers their creativity. Their insights shed light on the current state of creativity, the exciting possibilities that lie ahead as the industry evolves, and how emerging new ideas will continue to drive the future of creative excellence.

What does innovation mean to you, and how does it fuel your creative fire?

Tyler Turnbull, FCB Global CEO

“In many ways, innovation and creativity are synonymous. Big, bold ideas combined with the latest advancements in AI, data, and technology can break new creative ground and unlock growth for brands of all types. By pushing the boundaries of what’s possible, creativity becomes our most powerful economic multiplier and moves brands forward. I know I’m biased, but the talented teams across FCB inspire me every day to challenge the status quo, continue to drive change and live into our ‘Never Finished’ spirit across our company.”

Andrés Ordóñez, FCB Global Chief Creative Officer

“Innovation, to me, is about breaking inertia. It’s the refusal to settle for ‘good enough’ — the energy that keeps us pushing for better. Whether through technology, craft, or unexpected collisions of culture, innovation keeps the creative fire burning. It’s how we keep evolving, keep surprising, and keep making work that moves people. That’s what the ‘Never Finished’ spirit is all about.”

Tina Allan, FCB Global Chief Data & Intelligence Officer

“Data fuels innovation in our creative industry through the perfect blend of math, magic, and making. It has the power to spark a chain reaction of imagination, transforming potential into game-changing breakthroughs. In a landscape where effectiveness is everything, innovative insights and boundary-pushing creative become the catalyst for transforming bold ideas into measurable success — resulting in work that moves brands and businesses forward.”

Eli Ferrara, Head of Creative Innovation, FCB Canada

“Innovation is the spark that turns the impossible into the inevitable. To me, it means seeing what’s next before it arrives and then building it. It’s not just about new technology, but new connections: between culture and code, insight and impact. As someone working at the edge of AI and creativity, innovation fuels my drive to challenge convention, surprise audiences, and create ideas that move business and shape culture. It’s the engine behind every bold brief, every unexpected solution, and every ‘what if’ that becomes ‘what’s next.’”

Kartikeya Tiwari, Creative Digital Partner, FCB India

Rosie Gentile, EVP, FCB/SIX Practice Lead, North America

"Innovation, to me, is all about possibilities. In a world of constant change — new industries, technologies, tools, data sets and ways of thinking — it's my motivation. It's asking: how can we apply this to solve business needs? Innovation means exploring unexpected applications and insights, even when not obvious. It's about discovering new ways for brands to engage consumers, applied with purpose and intent. Ultimately, innovation is fuel — it keeps us sharp, prevents complacency and drives us to stay ahead."

Jay Towns, Copywriter, FCB Chicago

“To me, innovation is curiosity in action. It's seeing doors where others see walls and daring to open them; it's the courage to question the accepted and imagine the possible. This fuels my creative fire by pushing me to trust my intuition, challenge conventions, and embrace discomfort as the birthplace of breakthrough ideas. It’s incredibly motivating to remember that every great innovation starts with a single question: ‘What if?’”

Guy Hobbs, ECD, FCB London

“For me, innovation means disruption. I know I know, it sounds like a couple of LinkedIn clichés doing trust falls at a team-building event. But what those two slightly tragic terms really mean is opportunity. New platforms, new tools, new ways to grab attention — they crack things open and offer new ways into the problem. McLuhan said, ‘the medium is the message.’ These days, the mediums are multiplying, and each one gives us a new way to surprise people. Innovation doesn’t just keep things fresh. It stops us from getting boring. And that’s the point, isn’t it?”

Katie Benedict, Associate Art Director, FCB Chicago

“To me, innovation means thinking or acting differently to get better results. It’s about learning new ways to create that are more efficient, more detailed, or more unexpected, which I think is how you grow as a creative. It allows me to see my ideas come to life, whether it’s exactly how I pictured it, or not at all, which is sometimes even better. As a creative, innovation has felt like it’s moving faster than ever, and I think that’s really exciting.”

Nimy Leshinski, ACD at FCB Toronto

“Innovation, to me, is permission to break the usual. It’s the thrill of saying, ‘What if we tried this instead?’ and realizing there’s no ceiling on the answer. It’s like rocket fuel — because it’s not just about doing something new, it’s about thinking in ways that haven’t existed yet. I love that it doesn’t come with a rulebook. It’s playground meets laboratory: part imagination, part experimentation. Innovation keeps things alive, unexpected, and just a little risky — and that’s where the magic happens. It’s how I stay curious, stay brave, and stay just ahead of the obvious.”

Jorge Bauza, Creative Director, FCB Chicago

“For me, innovation is an invitation to push curiosity to new levels. It’s an amplifier of creativity. In an industry that sometimes finds itself in an almost existential standstill because we've been fed the idea that there's nothing new under the sun and that "the wheel was already invented", innovation turns those antiquated conventions on its head and prompts new and exciting paths for creativity.
Creativity in essence is format agnostic. Innovation fuels my creative fire by infinitely multiplying the possibilities of that freedom of form that is innate to the creative process.”

Ben Edwards, ECD, FCB London

“Innovation that literally runs with me? Yes, please. Google Gemini’s ability to transform dense, rabbit-hole research into snackable podcasts is pure wizardry. It’s like having my own nerdy narrator turning multiple articles into walkable wisdom. Now, I can deep dive into quantum computing (well, maybe not quantum computing) while dodging pigeons in the park. It’s the multitasking dream: creativity on the move, insights in my ears, and no need to stop for a scroll. As someone who lives in a constant tug-of-war between curiosity and calendar invites, this is a game-changer. Who knew staying informed could be this frictionless — and cardio-friendly? Mind blown, earbuds in. Thanks, Googs.”

McKenna Neef, Associate Copywriter, FCB Chicago

“To me, innovation in this industry isn’t just about new tech or new tools, but rather new ways of imagining what advertising can be. I think this mindset has really pushed me to aim for out-of-the-box ideas.”

Syahriza Badron, Managing Director, FCB SHOUT

“What I appreciate about innovation is that it gives us time back. In this industry, time is our biggest enemy. There is never enough of it and too much of it is spent on the wrong things. When technology can do in five minutes what used to take an hour, that is not just efficiency, that is power. I do not want my team buried in low-value tasks. I want them solving real problems and pushing ideas that move business and culture forward. We are not paid to be busy. We are paid to be brilliant. Innovation makes that possible."