Joel Nettey, former World President of the International Advertising Association, has urged Ghanaian advertising agencies to embrace artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance creativity, efficiency and global competitiveness.

He said the industry was undergoing its most significant transformation since the advent of digital media, warning that agencies which failed to adapt risked being left behind.

Mr Nettey made the call at the launch of the 18th Gong Gong Awards by the Advertising Association of Ghana (AAG) in Accra on Friday.

“AI tools are already transforming the speed and cost of creative production. From generating visual concepts and copy variants to producing personalised video content at scale, the capabilities available today would have seemed impossible just five years ago.”

“An agency of twenty people equipped with the right AI tools can now produce the output volume of an agency three times its size,” he said.

Mr Nettey explained that AI-powered analytics now allows brands to better understand consumer behaviour, predict purchase intent and deliver personalised content, signalling a shift from traditional mass advertising to targeted communication.

“The question for us is not whether to adopt these tools, but how quickly we can build the internal capacity to use them responsibly,” he stressed.

Mr Nettey cautioned that while AI offered immense opportunities, it could not replace human creativity and cultural insight.

“The best advertising has always been deeply human. The role of the human creative and strategist remains essential to guide AI and ensure cultural relevance,” he said.

Mr Nettey, also Group Chief Executive Officer of Ninani Group, pointed to a growing skills gap in the industry and called for investment in data analytics, performance marketing and AI assisted production.

He urged African technologists and advertisers to develop AI applications that reflect local languages, idioms and cultural contexts.

“One area where Ghana and Africa more broadly have a genuine competitive opportunity is in the development of AI tools that understand and reflect our languages, cultures, and contexts.

“There is significant space for African technologists and advertisers to develop AI applications that speak to African consumers in their own languages, idioms, and cultural frameworks,” he emphasised.

Touching on the awards, Mr Nettey said the event offered agencies a platform to tell Ghana’s advertising story to the world, urging participants to aim beyond local recognition and produce work that could compete globally.

Dr Linda Narh, Chairperson of the Gong Gong Awards Board, announced that this year’s edition had been expanded to reflect emerging trends, including digital innovation and AI.

She said the awards would feature 24 categories under seven classifications, with a new “Young Creatives of the Year” category to nurture emerging talent through a competitive hackathon.

Entries would open on May 4 and close on June 14, 2026, with the awards night scheduled for July 25 at the Labadi Beach Hotel.

Mr Andrew Ackah, President of the AAG, said the Gong Gong Awards remained the industry’s flagship platform for celebrating excellence and driving professional standards.

“Last year we recorded about 230 entries, but this year we expect a lot more. We want to see more energy, more participation, and more innovation,” he said.

The 18th Gong Gong Awards will be held on the theme: “The Creative Convergence: AI and Human Craft in Advertising.”