TBWA\New Zealand launches TBWA\i: a new practice bringing people, product and process together to unlock AI’s potential for brands
TBWA\New Zealand has launched TBWA\i – a new practice designed to bring the right people, AI product and processes together, to help brands think beyond AI efficiency and look at what can be reimagined. It will help teams super-charge brands to deliver customer growth.
AI efforts within businesses often focus on what can be automated or eliminated, and are contributing to a tsunami of content that is often undifferentiated and ignored. TBWA\i helps clients reimagine what’s possible. Grounded in TBWA’s disruptive thinking, the practice combines service design, strategic consultancy, AI product development, strategy and insights, creative ideation and production – enabling teams to think beyond what has been possible and look at new ideas, products, and brand experiences that set them apart.
“There is no shortage of AI tools, but the real opportunity lies in how we apply them,” says Catherine Harris, CEO of TBWA\NZ. “ TBWA\i drives growth for businesses by enabling entirely new kinds of work that are ownable and unique for each brand – not just optimising what we already do.”
“In a world of efficiency, this is about people and AI product coming together to create advantages for brands over their competitors,” Harris adds.
AI platforms are evolving rapidly, and establishing a roadmap for meaningful implementation, especially in marketing, can be challenging. TBWA\i was created to bridge that gap – helping businesses adopt the most impactful uses, at speed and safely. It’s about ensuring any solution seamlessly brings together talented people and technology with an easy to apply process. Drawing on the technical depth of Digital Arts Network (DAN) – with proven expertise in service design, UX, CX, and full-stack digital development – and the creative, brand, and strategic power of TBWA’s creative agency, the practice is uniquely positioned to help brands transform.
The five key service areas of TBWA\i include:
– Consultancy, to reimagine what’s possible when people, AI product and process come together and roadmap the delivery.
– Bespoke AI tools built to specification and designed to complement specific marketing activity or expertise.
– AI-led discovery and research, exploring and uncovering new strategic avenues and insights.
– New creative possibilities and production solutions, unlocking new types of ideas, executional approaches, and scalable production solutions.
– Optimised delivery processes, finding ways to build new partnership models and ways of working for clients and agency teams.
“More than just tools, TBWA\i is a practice designed to extend what our client teams can deliver – helping them move from AI exploration to meaningful execution. We will supercharge what people can imagine and create with AI products.” says David Parkinson, Managing Director – Digital Arts Network and TBWA\i. “By combining TBWA’s strategic, creative, and production firepower with DAN’s technical depth and service design expertise, we’re able to help clients integrate AI into their systems and workflows in a way that is scalable, smart, and effective.”
TBWA\i is led by a multidisciplinary team of creative and technical experts, including:
● Trudi Greig – Head of Innovation & AI Delivery
● David Parkinson – Head of AI Adoption & Service Design
● Billy Weir – Lead Innovation Developer
● Blair Walker – Head of Innovation & Creative Delivery
● Shane Bradnick – Chief Creative Officer
● Supported by TBWA’s Strategy and Data team
“Every department in our agency feeds into TBWA\i, and TBWA\i feeds back into the team,” says Shane Bradnick, Chief Creative Officer. “It’s not an isolated lab – it’s a living, working model where creatives, strategists, technologists, and producers collaborate to make things better, smarter, and more powerful. This is completely reshaping how we’ll work in the coming year – and we’re evolving at pace alongside our clients.”
The TBWA\i team is also powered by the agency’s existing digital capabilities and supported by Omnicom’s global AI and data ecosystem. Grounded in ethical AI use and data security, TBWA\i is now live.
To learn more or get in touch with the team, email innovation@tbwa.co.nz.
TBWA is hiring. For anyone interested in helping shape the future of AI + creativity, TBWA would love to hear from you, whether your expertise is in strategy, creative or AI development.
Pictured (clockwise): Shane Bradnick, Catherine Harris, Billy Weir, Mark Lloyd, David Parkinson, Trudi Greig, Blair Walker
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