The advertising industry is undergoing a quiet but profound transformation, and according to Lolu Akinwunmi, Chairman of Prima Garnet Africa, agencies must quickly adapt or risk fading into irrelevance. In a recent commentary, he observed that many global brands, especially in North America are increasingly bypassing agency creative departments and turning instead to independent writers to craft their advertising scripts. What may have begun as an experiment is now fast becoming a trend that could reshape the future of advertising.
Akinwunmi explained that the shift is being driven by clients’ demand for storytelling that feels more authentic and cinematic, often resembling entertainment rather than conventional advertising. Independent writers, many of whom come from film, television, or digital content backgrounds, are seen as better equipped to deliver these fresh narratives. With media fragmented across television, streaming, YouTube, TikTok, and countless other platforms, brands also find freelancers to be more nimble in navigating the creative language of these diverse channels.
Cost is another factor accelerating the trend. For many clients, hiring a writer directly is significantly cheaper than paying for the overhead of an agency’s full creative team. At the same time, there is growing dissatisfaction with agencies, which some clients perceive as formulaic or stuck in old models of idea generation. By contrast, independent writers are often celebrated for their originality, boldness, and ability to inject new life into brand storytelling.
Underlying all of this is the broader rise of the gig economy, which has made freelance and project-based work more accessible across industries. Digital platforms now allow brands to tap into global creative talent on demand, giving rise to what Akinwunmi describes as the “Uberisation of creativity.” This development does not necessarily make agencies obsolete, but it is forcing them to redefine their role. Increasingly, agencies are positioned as integrators, responsible for strategy, campaign management, and alignment across platforms, while the creative spark itself may come from external collaborators.
For Akinwunmi, the implication for agencies is clear: they must shed the notion that creativity resides only within their walls. To remain central to brand building, agencies may need to open up their models to include independent scriptwriters as consultants, collaborators, or even in-house contributors. Though some agencies may resist this out of professional pride, he argues that collaboration with diverse creative voices is the only way forward.
“Yesterday’s skillsets cannot solve today’s client problems,” Akinwunmi cautioned, adding that the sooner agencies embrace reinvention, the better positioned they will be to thrive in the new order.
As the balance of power in creativity shifts, agencies face a choice: to hold on to old structures or to evolve into dynamic hubs that orchestrate strategy while drawing inspiration from a wider creative ecosystem. For Akinwunmi, the writing is on the wall, adaptation is no longer optional.
