Creative trends 2012: A Round Table extract

The only creative trend that matters next year is 'letting go'.  There are two types of creatives these days; those willing to let go, and are open to co-collaboration of ideas whether that be with other non creative members of staff, consumers, clients or other agencies, and secondly those who are closed and keep a closed tight fist around the idea - unwilling to set it free.

Most, but not all of the later are in the bigger more traditional agencies with their legacy production models. However, more and more the new open style creative is becoming the norm. Ownership of the idea is shared and experts in various aspects of execution can weave their magic. 

Ideas that are set free can continue to grow as others embrace them, take ownership of them, and promote them. This just can't happen with the old closed shop model.

Everyone's still trying to make sense of how consumers engage with brands in the digital space. Despite all the emerging trends, advertisers are still looking for ways to pin down their audience.

In 2012 there will be a bigger push towards 'pinning down' with technologies such as Geo-tagging, interactive videos, mobile advertising and, of course, iPad apps. Interactions will become richer and there will be a big movement towards rewarding teh audience for taking part.

Creatively we could see more minimalism. Advertisers have to work so much harder to capture their audience. They have to be quick, simple and upfront - so they'll be willing to shed information.

With a move towards simplicity, the bold, graphic visual language in the digital space will become more prevalent in conventional channels. The trend in 2012 in one word: purity.