In the Age of Intelligence, Droga5 Dublin, Part of Accenture Song, Is Colliding Creativity and Technology

In today’s market, getting noticed sparks growth, but ultimately being remembered is what sustains it. This is especially true for brands online, where most are only striving to get noticed and not pushing further to be remembered.

Becoming unforgettable is the only way to build gravity-defying brands. That’s how the thinking goes at Droga5 Dublin, part of Accenture Song, an agency built on creative ideas that move the needle and shape culture for brands, making them impossible to ignore.

Globally, Droga5 has set its vision to be ‘the most influential creative company in the age of intelligence’ – so for Sarah-Jane Lowes, head of digital and social, and Pieter Konickx, group creative director, leading the social and digital charge in Dublin, the conditions for irresistible work to hit the world are perfect. Sarah-Jane notes that social has the ability and the power to achieve a simple yet all-encompassing goal. “Make brands irresistible, powered by intelligence,” she says. “By combining the creative firepower of Droga5 with the possibilities of technology, we can push brand storytelling into new dimensions. We’re able to create faster, think deeper, and act smarter. This is creativity amplified, not automated.”

The rise of AI is exciting for Pieter, though he’s realistic about its role. “Isn’t AI spectacular? It’s unlocked a new level of curiosity in our team,” he says. “But great work still comes from human imagination and from those weird sparks in our brains that connect dots an algorithm never could.” In the Droga5 Dublin creative department, AI already plays a part in the creative process. “It powers ideas, but it doesn’t replace the human touch, or the human heart, behind them.”

Last month, to coincide with London Fashion Week, Droga5 Dublin created the tech-art piece, ‘CAPtured’. This wearable cap, powered by AI technology, tackles a uniquely human issue: protecting people from getting caught in someone’s viral video without consent. “By blending empathy with intelligent systems, we created work that resonated emotionally and solved real problems. It’s proof that when tech and talent collaborate, remarkable things happen,” Pieter adds.

Recently, the agency celebrated the two-year anniversary of its ‘Eggs & Insights’ quarterly industry sessions. Every one is aimed at decoding “the movements redefining culture, social, community, and commerce,” Sarah-Jane says. It’s another area of business where AI, as a tool, proves invaluable. “We use intelligence powered by AI and instinct to spot the cultural shifts that help brands show up, build momentum, and become impossible to ignore. For our clients, it’s less hindsight and more headlights, so they can see the cultural horizon and learn how to act on it before anyone else.” But the crucial ingredient here remains human expertise – “signals are only as good as the talent who sees the opportunity in terms of an insight and translates that into ideas,” Sarah-Jane adds.

Sarah-Jane cautions brands that we’re in a moment of “brand volatility, where your competitor’s cultural agility is your competition as much as their product or positioning.” Looking at what differentiates the winners from the rest is the confidence to pursue a strategy that’s right for them. “The brands that are thriving today aren’t clinging to control or chasing fleeting trends. They’re investing in three core levers: engagement, sentiment, and advocacy.” In Sarah-Jane's view, “these are the true markers of being a magnetic brand – attracting cultural players: creators, collaborators, commentators, and consumers alike.”

What can brands do to get there? “You have to start from your brand’s core positioning,” she says. “The question isn’t ‘How do we stay relevant?’ anymore, it’s ‘How do we become irresistible?’ And now we can answer that because AI gives us the tools: faster, smarter, and more creatively than ever before.”

Pieter sees the current moment as just the beginning for the agency and what it can achieve. “It’s really like Dublin is a centre of excellence, a creative hub for social, culture and technology, all buzzing with possibility.” Plus, the agency is “bringing in world-class talent from around the world: strategists, technologists, and makers who are all obsessed with how technology can make creativity even more powerful,” Sarah-Jane says. Pieter adds, “It’s an environment built for experimentation, collaboration, and pushing boundaries. It has the kind of energy that makes you want to build, create, and go big.”