Advertising legend urges agencies to ditch growth for creativity at Goafest 2026

At Goafest 2026, advertising veteran Eugene Cheong questioned the industry’s obsession with size and speed. He argued that true growth comes not from expansion but from preserving creativity and original thinking. His keynote challenged agencies to rethink their future role in an AI-driven world. Cheong began by criticising the traditional agency model, where only a small fraction of work won awards, some gained cultural relevance, and most relied on execution. He warned that AI and automation are now eroding this structure by handling repetitive tasks faster and cheaper. As a result, execution-heavy work is becoming less profitable for agencies.

He then turned to bureaucracy, calling it a major threat to creativity. According to him, excessive processes flatten bold ideas, encourage safe choices, and strip away the sharp edges that make work stand out. Instead of treating creativity as an innate trait, he described it as a discipline—one built on curiosity, playfulness, and courage.

Looking ahead, Cheong proposed a new model: the 'big little agency'. This would be an organisation large enough to deliver results but small enough to stay agile and hungry. He predicted that an agency’s real value will shift to the top layer—original thinking, strategic imagination, and creative judgement—rather than sheer scale or efficiency. Cheong’s speech left the industry with a clear message: agencies must prioritise creativity over expansion to survive. He urged leaders to resist the urge to grow bigger and instead focus on fostering environments where bold, imaginative work can thrive. The future, he suggested, belongs to those who stay sharp, not just those who scale up.