AI may have dominated the speaker line-up at this year’s MAD//Fest London, but the event’s central theme, The Human Touch, shaped many of the conversations taking place across the festival.
While artificial intelligence remained one of the biggest talking points, marketers, media owners and adtech leaders agreed that the discussion has evolved. Rather than debating AI’s potential, the focus has shifted towards practical applications, measurable outcomes and the role people continue to play in delivering effective marketing.
Industry leaders shared their reactions following this year’s event.
For Ryan Afshar, VP of Publishers and Platforms at LG Ad Solutions, the conversation around connected TV has moved well beyond audience scale.
“In CTV, the conversation at MAD//Fest has moved on from reach. The focus is squarely on proving it as a full-funnel driver of both performance and brand.
“That shift puts real weight on where influence in the viewing journey is being created. The Home Screen is the clearest example: it’s the moment before a viewer has chosen what to watch, when attention is highest and engagement is well underway.
“This is where outcomes start, and it’s what marketers will need to measure end-to-end.”
The growing emphasis on proving business outcomes was reflected across discussions about AI, measurement and media investment.
James Urquhart, Senior Director, Sales at Adform, said MAD//Fest continues to offer value because it brings the industry together in person.
“Events like MAD//Fest are invaluable because they bring the industry together face to face. While the sessions and speakers provide great insight, some of the most valuable conversations often happen away from the stage, through chance encounters, reconnecting with familiar faces and hearing how different businesses are approaching the opportunities and challenges ahead.
“AI was understandably one of the biggest talking points throughout the event, but the conversation has clearly moved beyond the hype. The focus is now on practical applications, improving efficiency and understanding how AI can genuinely support teams in making better decisions. However, the discussions also reinforced that technology alone is not the answer. The real value comes from combining innovation with human expertise, collaboration and shared experiences.
“As the pace of change continues, opportunities to connect, challenge thinking and learn from others will become increasingly important. This year’s MAD//Fest theme, The Human Touch, felt particularly relevant. While technology will continue to transform our industry, it is the people behind the ideas, the conversations and the creativity that will ultimately shape the future of advertising.”
That focus on people over technology was echoed by Tom Ridges, CEO & Founder of Herdify, who believes AI is prompting the industry to rediscover what makes marketing resonate with audiences.
“Despite the number of talks with AI in their title at MAD//FEST this year, I’m seeing a very different trend emerge: the power of real life, which is further highlighted by this year’s theme, The Human Touch.
“It seems while AI has had everybody questioning their place in the world, we’ve gone back to what it means to be human. Being human!
“Over the last 30 years, since the advent of the internet, we’ve slowly, piece by piece, obscured the reason we do business (to serve a customer) into numbers on a spreadsheet or digital IDs to be optimised. And AI offers us huge advantages in this space, but it can’t replace the experience and range of emotions we feel from the real world. After all, we’re an emotional species.
“Who would have thought the rise of the machines would be the catalyst for us to rediscover our humanity in business?”
The theme also resonated with Betty Underwood, Marketing Director at RAAS LAB, who said the industry’s challenge is finding the right balance between AI and authentic customer engagement.
“This year’s MAD//Fest theme of ‘The Human Touch’ really stood out to me. In the midst of so much conversation about AI – from celebrations of productivity gains to fears over AI slop – it’s great to be having discussions about what’s uniquely human in the industry and how marketers can leverage AI for efficiency, but not lose Relevance, or the emotive, authentic connection they have with their audiences.
“For me, that’s exactly where culture and community come in. They’re what AI can’t replicate, and they matter for marketing as much as they do for wider society.”
Retail media emerged as another major topic throughout MAD//Fest London 2026, with brands exploring how to create consistent experiences across multiple consumer touchpoints.
Colin Horan, Strategic Partner, FMCG at Bauer Media Outdoor, said creativity remains central to successful retail media and digital out of home campaigns.
“MAD//Fest continues to be a brilliant showcase of where our industry is heading, and this year retail media formed a major part of the conversation. As the ecosystem becomes increasingly fragmented across multiple retail environments, one of the biggest challenges for brands is maintaining creative consistency while still delivering relevance at every touch point.
“Technology can help us reach consumers, but it’s human creativity that creates genuine emotional connection. That’s where DOOH stands apart – providing brands with high-impact, contextually relevant campaigns that deliver consistent creative across the consumer journey, from streets to store, and helping turn attention into action.”
Commerce media and first-party data were also high on the agenda.
Robert Smart, Commercial Lead – Retail & CPG at LiveRamp, said marketers are increasingly focused on understanding how AI influences every stage of the customer journey.
“AI dominated conversations at MAD//Fest, but the focus has moved beyond productivity to how it’s reshaping the consumer journey – how people discover, evaluate and decide what to purchase. That means marketers need connectivity into the surfaces where AI-driven consideration happens, and the measurement to understand what’s driving conversion.
“Every channel will be impacted by this shift – some sooner than others. For example, commerce media networks – whether owned by retailers, travel brands, finance and beyond – sit on highly valuable first-party data. This puts them in a strong position to power AI-driven targeting, recommendations and closed-loop measurement. Data collaboration networks make this possible at scale, connecting and activating first-party datasets across AI and traditional media environments.
“The next frontier is closing that gap between consideration and purchase, so that marketers understand the moment a consumer moves from browsing to buying. Those who can join up that journey seamlessly will be ones whose marketing investments keep driving incremental outcomes.”
Taken together, the reactions from across the advertising industry show that MAD//Fest London 2026 marked an important shift in the conversation around AI. The focus is no longer on whether artificial intelligence will transform advertising. Instead, marketers are asking how AI can improve performance while preserving the creativity, collaboration and human insight that build brands and create lasting connections with audiences.
The convergence of tech and brands 