Advertising executive challenges ageism myths in digital industry debate

An advertising executive's response to media coverage about WPP's struggles has sparked debate about age and expertise in the marketing industry. John Long, Executive Creative Director at Digitas, challenged claims on October 26, 2025, that middle-aged advertising professionals must scramble to learn generative AI tools for survival.

The discussion originated from coverage of WPP's declining market position. An article quoted an unnamed industry observer suggesting "middle-aged traditional creatives, the ones that have built a career doing traditional TV ads and posters" face extinction without rapid AI mastery. Long objected to this characterization through a LinkedIn post that received more than 1,020 reactions and 140 comments.

According to Long's calculations, a 40-year-old creative in 2025 was 19 when Facebook launched in 2004. That same professional turned 21 when Twitter debuted in 2006, reached 22 when Apple introduced the iPhone in 2007, and was 25 when Instagram launched in 2010. "So you've literally spent your entire career in advertising creating work for the digital/social/smartphone media ecosystem," Long wrote. "And that means you've produced way more digital-first and social campaigns than TV spots, let alone posters."

The mathematical breakdown challenges assumptions about generational technology adoption in advertising. Creatives beyond 40 navigated the decline of broadcast and mass media, the introduction of smartphones, the broad shift to targeting, and what Long termed "arguably the greatest two decades of disruption the advertising industry has ever faced." Those over 60 invented digital advertising, according to his analysis.

Adel Borky, a marketing professional who identifies as "Self-Made Marketing Man (Autodidact)," contributed a perspective that resonated with industry observers. "I started my career just 10 years ago, so technically I'm one of those 'digital natives,'" Borky commented. "And the only people I've ever met who actually know what they're doing are mostly 50+ (the ones who built brands before 'engagement' was a metric and when 'reach' meant something you could actually see in real life)."

Borky introduced a concept from advertising executive Rory Sutherland, Vice Chairman at Ogilvy UK. Sutherland coined the term "Technoplasmosis" to describe what Borky characterized as "an infection contracted from prolonged exposure to marketing decks produced by the very companies selling the ads." The comparison drew parallels to "asking a casino how to win at roulette."

The debate occurs as major platforms accelerate AI adoption across advertising operations. Research from the Interactive Advertising Bureau, released July 15, 2025, revealed that 86% of buyers currently use or plan to implement generative AI for video advertisement creation by 2026. The study projected that generative AI creative will account for 40% of all advertisements by 2026.

WPP reduced its global workforce to 104,000 employees by June 30, 2025, marking a 7,000-person decrease from 111,000 a year earlier. The 6.3% decline accompanied a 7.8% revenue drop to £6.66 billion. Severance costs reached £86 million, up from £36 million in the previous period. The company announced these cuts on August 7, 2025, citing "macro uncertainty leading to cuts to client spending combined with slower net new business."

Mark Read stepped down as WPP chief executive after seven years, as French rival Publicis overtook WPP as the world's largest advertising agency. Read remained in position through December 31, 2025, while the board conducted a search for his successor. The competitive dynamics between these two global holding companies have defined the advertising landscape throughout Read's tenure.

Publicis achieved EUR 7.52 billion in first-half net revenue in 2025, representing 6.9% reported growth and 5.4% organic growth. CEO Arthur Sadoun raised full-year guidance to "close to 5%" from the previous 4% to 5% range during the July 17, 2025 earnings call. The company delivered an operating margin of 17.4% in the first half, maintaining approximately 600 basis points advantage over competitors.

The industry witnessed significant consolidation during this period. Omnicom Group agreed to acquire Interpublic Group in an all-stock transaction valued at $13.3 billion, creating the industry's largest global network with combined revenues of $25.6 billion. Under terms disclosed December 9, 2024, IPG shareholders would receive 0.344 Omnicom shares for each IPG share. The combined organization would employ over 100,000 practitioners across multiple disciplines.

Major technology platforms expanded AI capabilities throughout 2025. Google launched Asset Studio on September 10, 2025, a centralized creative platform enabling advertisers to generate, edit, and scale advertising assets using artificial intelligence technology. The platform integrated multiple generative AI models including Imagen 4 for advanced image creation and Google's video generation capabilities.

Amazon expanded Video Generator capabilities to all United States advertisers on June 10, 2025. The enhanced platform created realistic high-motion videos showing products in active use rather than static lifestyle scenes. Meta announced significant expansions to its generative AI advertising capabilities on June 17, 2025, at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.

WPP Media research identified AI dominance as one of five major trends reshaping advertising through 2030. According to research released September 9, 2025, 71.0% of experts viewed AI-produced creative content as likely by 2030, with 29.0% rating it highly likely. This represented the largest positive shift from the 2020 baseline across any measured scenario. The trend encompassed AI systems producing the majority of creative content including music, television, movies, and advertising materials.

McKinsey's Technology Trends Outlook 2025 report, published in July 2025, identified 13 frontier technologies that could fundamentally reshape marketing strategies and advertising operations. The analysis positioned agentic AI—artificial intelligence systems capable of autonomous planning and execution—as the most significant emerging trend for marketing organizations.

The discussion about age and expertise in advertising intersects with broader questions about the value of human judgment. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg envisioned a future where businesses only need objectives and bank accounts while AI handles everything from creative to targeting. The advertising industry responded with significant skepticism, with one agency CEO expressing that "letting them make and also optimize creative is a scary concept."

Long's post highlighted contradictions in how the industry discusses experience. "Also: I would love to meet the creative who 'built a career' making posters," he wrote. The observation underscored disconnections between media narratives about advertising careers and actual professional trajectories in the field.

Responses to the post came from multiple industry professionals. Rory Sutherland commented "Experience makes you faster at the new." Billy D'Ambrosio, Creative Director and Copywriter, noted "I don't know whether to laugh or puke that forty is being framed as dangerously old." These reactions indicated widespread industry sentiment that chronological age poorly predicts technological adaptability.

The debate carries implications for talent management in advertising. Organizations must balance human creativity with technological efficiency to maintain competitive positioning. Investment patterns reveal significant funding fluctuations across marketing-relevant technologies, with artificial intelligence attracting $124.3 billion in 2024 according to McKinsey's data.

Connected television emerged as a standout performer across multiple industry discussions in 2025. CTV's share of media budgets doubled from 14% in 2023 to 28% in 2025, with 72% of marketers planning to increase programmatic advertising investment. This growth occurred alongside debates about where experience and technological fluency intersect in producing effective advertising across emerging channels.

The LinkedIn discussion gained additional visibility when Long shared Borky's comment on X (formerly Twitter) on October 26, 2025, at 1:12 PM. The post generated 304 views and multiple responses from marketing professionals. Mark, identified on X as @MarkDonatelli, responded "This is an incredibly factual comment!" within 57 minutes of the post.

Industry data demonstrated that professional experience correlates with successful adaptation to new technologies. Lemonlight announced on October 1, 2025, the launch of Generative AI Commercials, a service combining generative AI technology with human creative oversight from its network of 5,000 cinematographers, editors, and producers. The hybrid approach acknowledged that AI tools require experienced judgment to produce commercially viable results.

The discussion highlighted tensions between technological determinism and human expertise in advertising. While platforms promote automation capabilities, agencies that successfully integrated technology while maintaining client partnership focus appeared positioned to withstand platform expansion into traditional advertising territories. Publicis CEO Arthur Sadoun dismissed platform disruption fears as "BS and fear" during the July 17, 2025 earnings call.

Small and mid-tier brands demonstrated faster adoption rates for AI creative tools compared to larger enterprises, leveraging capabilities to produce professional-quality content without extensive production teams or budgets. This pattern suggested that AI adoption rates reflected organizational structure and resource allocation rather than the age of creative professionals implementing the technology.

For the marketing community, the debate illuminates ongoing questions about how professional experience translates across technological shifts. The evidence presented by Long and Borky challenged assumptions that chronological age predicts technological fluency or creative effectiveness in digital environments. Advertising professionals who spent entire careers navigating platform changes demonstrated capacity to adapt to AI tools without the existential struggles suggested by media coverage of industry disruption.

The conversation continues as advertising organizations determine how to structure teams and evaluate talent in an environment where both human judgment and technological capability matter for producing effective marketing. The discussion revealed gaps between external narratives about the advertising industry and the lived experience of professionals working within it.

Timeline

• 2004: Facebook launches; current 40-year-old creatives were 19 years old
• 2006: Twitter debuts; current 40-year-old creatives were 21 years old
• 2007: Apple introduces iPhone; current 40-year-old creatives were 22 years old
• 2010: Instagram launches; current 40-year-old creatives were 25 years old
• December 9, 2024: Omnicom announces $13.3 billion acquisition of Interpublic Group
• June 9, 2025: WPP chief Mark Read announces departure as Publicis overtakes WPP
• June 10, 2025: Amazon expands Video Generator to all US advertisers
• June 17, 2025: Meta announces generative AI advances at Cannes Lions
• June 30, 2025: WPP workforce reduced to 104,000 employees
• July 15, 2025: IAB releases research showing 86% of buyers using AI for video ads
• July 17, 2025: Publicis CEO dismisses Meta AI threat during earnings call
• July 27, 2025: McKinsey identifies agentic AI as frontier technology
• August 7, 2025: WPP announces 7,000-person workforce reduction
• September 9, 2025: WPP Media releases Advertising in 2030 research
• September 10, 2025: Google launches Asset Studio for AI-powered creative production
• October 1, 2025: Lemonlight launches Generative AI Commercials service
• October 26, 2025: John Long posts LinkedIn challenge to ageism narratives at approximately 1:12 PM

Summary

Who: John Long, Executive Creative Director at Digitas, and Adel Borky, marketing professional, challenged industry narratives about age and technological competence in advertising. The discussion involved commentary from advertising executive Rory Sutherland and responses from multiple industry professionals across LinkedIn and X.

What: Long disputed claims that middle-aged advertising creatives must scramble to learn generative AI for survival. He presented mathematical evidence that 40-year-old creatives in 2025 spent their entire professional careers in the digital/social/smartphone ecosystem. Borky contributed the concept of "Technoplasmosis" to describe younger professionals whose expertise derives primarily from platform marketing materials.

When: The discussion occurred on October 26, 2025, following media coverage of WPP's declining market position. The debate unfolded as the advertising industry undergoes significant transformation, with IAB research from July 15, 2025, showing 86% of buyers using or planning to use generative AI for video advertisement creation by 2026.

Where: The conversation took place on LinkedIn and X, with Long's original post receiving more than 1,020 reactions and 140 comments. The discussion occurred against a backdrop of major industry developments including WPP's workforce reduction to 104,000 employees by June 30, 2025, and Publicis overtaking WPP as the world's largest advertising agency.

Why: The debate matters because it challenges assumptions about age, experience, and technological adaptability in an industry undergoing rapid AI-driven transformation. With 71.0% of experts viewing AI-produced creative content as likely by 2030 according to WPP Media research released September 9, 2025, questions about who can effectively work with these technologies carry significant implications for talent management, hiring practices, and team structure across advertising organizations. The discussion revealed gaps between media narratives about industry disruption and the actual experience of advertising professionals navigating technological change throughout their careers.