Bata puts 45% of spends on digital, exits retainer creative agencies as AI takes over production

Bata's dramatic pivot to digital spending and its breakup with traditional creative agencies signals a seismic shift in how major corporations are now handling marketing: artificial intelligence is beginning to replace the human creatives who once commanded retainer fees and shaped brand identity. The footwear giant's move to cut loose agencies that built some of its most recognizable campaigns raises an urgent question for Madison Avenue—if a company as established and image-conscious as Bata is betting its creative future on AI, how many other Fortune 500 firms are quietly making the same calculations?

Storyboard18·Aug 21