The 2025 Lagos Advertising & Ideas Festival (LAIF) Creative Conference convened industry leaders on November 29 at the Lagos Marriott Hotel in GRA, Ikeja, to equip participants with core values essential for long-term achievement in advertising, storytelling, and brand innovation. Amid a significant turnout of young creatives, speakers underscored discipline, resilience, and craftsmanship as foundational to navigating technological shifts and client demands.
Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN) President, Lanre Adisa highlighted the need for young professionals to embrace a craftsmanship mindset. He stated that groundbreaking ideas demand energy, effort, and continuous improvement, even with technology aiding idea generation. Adisa affirmed that hard work and determination remain key to output quality. Jay Chukwuemeka, LAIF Management Board Chairman reinforced this by urging attendees to view challenges as opportunities for superior creative results.
Speaking during a panel session titled The Anatomy of Genius: Unpacking the Human Truths and The Craft Behind Award-winning work, Steve Babaeko, CEO of X3M Ideas, stressed that creatives must be able to go above and beyond to deliver their craft to get the clients convinced, especially when they are under immense pressure.
According to Babaeko, it is the responsibility of creatives to understand the psychology of clients while pushing their ideas, stressing that many clients are driven by key metrics such as volume, profit, or bonus.
Another panelist who spoke during the session, Creative Director, Dentsu South Africa, , stated that a creative person must find a balance in delivering award-winning work and work that is responsible and of best practice, regardless of mounting opposition from the client.
In her remarks, Chief Visionary Officer, Event Architects Limited, Funmi Victor-Okigbo, explained that a creative person must be interested in the fine details to deliver great works. Victor-Okigbo emphasized the need for agencies to place the client at the forefront of their work, noting that their enthusiasm and excitement should be the measure of success.
In another panel session titled “Future of AI in Communications”, Marketing Director, Visa West Africa, Seun Adaramola, stated that AI remains the most potent tool to make communication more effective, urging both agencies and clients to embrace it. Adaramola urged agencies to leverage AI while also ensuring that they deploy creativity to infuse emotion into their work.
Also speaking, Founder, Naija AI Film Festival, Obinna Okerekeocha, said AI is crucial to bringing creatives’ imaginations to life faster, adding that the future of African storytelling lies at the intersection of art and technology. Okerekeocha stated that his organization is committed to rewarding individuals who can effectively utilize an AI tool by generating innovative ideas.
Speaking during another panel session titled’ Power of Collaboration Across Disciplines, the Chief Executive Officer, Q21 Solutions, Eunice Adeyemi, noted that agencies must earn the trust of their clients to enable them to create experiences that infuse technology at will.
In her submission, Tolulope Medebem, President of the Experiential Marketers Association of Nigeria, corroborated the earlier position, stating that clients must be willing to co-create with agencies to deliver an unforgettable experience on every project.
Speaking during the session, Segun Ogunleye, Head of Marketing at Diageo, stated that brands, agencies, and other partners needed to have a collaborative mindset to achieve their objectives.
Also speaking, the Founder, Lagos Street Art Festival, Osa Seven, explained that delegating responsibility or building a team in the creative space contributes a great deal in helping to scale bigger and fine-tune one’s craft into a global standard.
The other remaining panel session, titled ”Women in Advertising,” focused on challenges faced by women in the profession and how employers should help female employees achieve work-life balance without necessarily hindering their career growth.
In the panel “The Anatomy of Genius: Unpacking the Human Truths and The Craft Behind Award-Winning Work,” X3M Ideas CEO Steve Babaeko advised creatives to exceed expectations to persuade clients under pressure. He emphasized understanding client psychology, driven by metrics like volume, profit, or bonuses.
Dentsu South Africa Creative Director TJ Njozela added that creatives must balance award-winning output with responsible practices, despite client resistance.
Event Architects Limited Chief Visionary Officer Funmi Victor-Okigbo stressed attention to details for quality work. She noted that agencies should prioritize client needs, using client enthusiasm as a success indicator.
The “Future of AI in Communications” session explored technology’s role. Visa West Africa Marketing Director Seun Adaramola described AI as a tool for effective communication, calling on agencies and clients to adopt it while incorporating emotional creativity.
