We came for the hype, stayed for the honesty.

Between the ice cream vans and inflatable flamingos, MAD//Fest 2025 was packed with big opinions, smart insights and a few unexpected provocations. Here’s what stood out. 

AI Is Coming (But We’re Not Quite Ready) 

Martin Sorrell didn’t mince his words. AI’s potential is massive - especially in content creation, media buying and personalisation at scale - but most businesses are still dragging their feet.  

There’s lots of chat about agility, but not enough actual speed or decisiveness. He reckons the next 6–9 months are going to be crucial and the smart clients will start building proper, embedded models now. His advice? Look at General Motors if you want a glimpse of who’s doing it well. 

Human Connection Still Leads 

Reddit’s Hannah Walker’s view is: “Artificial intelligence still needs human intelligence.” As slick as AI can be, people are still craving connection, validation and trust. It’s why they turn to communities like Reddit when the algorithm churns out answers that don’t feel quite right.  

She cites the "human algorithm" - the idea that belief and trust isn’t built from the top anymore, but at the touchpoints and the spaces between us and our lived experience.   

People & Passion First 

Julia Goldin from LEGO showed how powerful a brand can be when it taps into people’s passions rather than just licensed IP.  

LEGO’s approach is all about community, creativity and immersive storytelling. It felt refreshingly audience-first - a good nudge to think beyond the obvious partnerships and back to what makes play (and brand-building) fun. 

Brains Beat Budgets 

Rory Sutherland and Tom Ridges served up a typically fresh masterclass in human behaviour. Their core point? We copy more than we think.  

Whether it’s for reassurance or status, herd mentality plays a much bigger role in decision-making than we give it credit for. If we want people to care, we need to make them feel less alone. Local stories, real meaning, thoughtful content - these are what cut through. 

Be Defiant (In a Good Way) 

Munnawar Chishty from Carlsberg Britvic closed things out with a rallying cry: plan for defiant outcomes. Not everything has to be safe, polished or palatable.  

Great work means making people feel something, even if that something is a little uncomfortable. She talked about the role of belonging, and how being brave is part of making real space for it. 

Farah Golant from SeedTag echoed this notion by giving KPIs a much-needed makeover: Keep People Inspired. She reminded us that while data matters, emotion is what really drives action.  

So that was our MAD//Fest. Bold ideas, hot takes, lots of food for thought (and actual food, too). 

If nothing else, it reminded us that while AI might be moving fast, our best work still comes from thinking deeply, staying curious and making space for people.