PREVIEWING:
THE CREATIVITY STAGE
MAD//FEST 2026
In partnership with:
8 June 2026
With heads spinning trying to keep up with the latest tech advances, creativity is what will ultimately set a brand apart and drive growth. This stage will explore the brave ideas and bold brands pushing the limits of creativity to create deeper, wider and lasting connections that change hearts and minds.
Forget ROI. This is ROJ
Explore the emotional science behind joy, and why the brands people love most are the ones that give us something to look forward to.
With Nick Bain, Head of Creative Strategy, Time Out and Ginger Johnson, Winner, RuPaul’s Drag Race UK.
How Vaseline turned a runners’ secret into a global brand platform
Vaseline shows how embracing an awkward human truth (yes, chafing) unlocked global cultural relevance, community buy-in and major earned media.
With Nathalia Amadeu, Global Brand Director, Vaseline.
Data doesn’t have periods
Bodyform shows how radical empathy and honesty can dismantle taboo and rebuild a category through feeling, not just data.
With Luciana de Azevedo Lara, Senior Global Brand Communications Manager, Essity, and Henrietta Corley, Senior Business Director, AMV BBDO.
The New Rules of Brand Collaboration
Most collabs are just two logos shaking hands and hoping for the best. Ottolenghi and Botivo break down how to build partnerships that are culturally sharp, creatively fearless, and actually worth talking about.
With Shona Campbell, Chief Marketing and Growth Officer, Ottolenghi and Imme Ermgassen, Co-founder, Botivo.
AI Is Efficient. Humans Are Effective
AI makes more. Humans make it matter. Confused.com explores why emotional, human work still outperforms automated output.
With Geoff Bull, Chief Marketing Officer, Confused.com.
How to turn the people-powered illusion into a reality
Everyone bangs on about being “people-powered”, but most brands are still tightly controlled, polished, and about as participatory as a Zoom call.
Hear how true participation, a bit of cultural tension, and proper internal rewiring can turn people-first ambition into actual growth you can measure, not just something you stick in a deck.
With Katie Jackson, Chief Marketing Officer, Channel 4 and Dawn Paine, Founder & CEO, Aurora.
The North Face: From Mountains to Feeds
How do you build emotional connection in a world of endless content? From narrative development to casting and collaboration, unpack the creative process and explore the role creativity plays in shaping more distinctive, memorable and effective social content.
With Tom Stephens, Creative Director, SAMY and Myrthe Mertens De Vry, Social Media Manager EMEA, The North Face.
Rave Snails & Glitter Kittens
Why you should swap performance marketing for chaos, delight and dopamine-driven creative.
With Chris Delahunty, Head of UK Marketing, TopCashback and Laura Jordan Bambach, Co-founder & Chief Creative Officer, Uncharted..
Keep Us Beating
British Heart Foundation turned survival stories into a national gut-punch on heart disease—55 benches, real people, and a campaign built to stop the scroll, spark emotion, and force action.
With Claire Sadler, Chief Customer & Marketing Officer, British Heart Foundation.
BRAND
SPEAKERS INCLUDING:
It takes a team to tell a story
Behind every Dishoom café is a from-scratch creative world. We will pull back the curtain on the creative process that produces it.
With Ginny Nackvi, Brand and Creative Director, Dishoom, Samuel Sutton, Head of Design, Dishoom, Livi West, Senior Copywriter, Dishoom and Ria Jaiswal, Senior Brand Manager, Dishoom.
Beer, Sex and Brand Worlds
Alcohol and sexual wellness brands face tough restrictions. This session reveals the strategic frameworks that turn constraint into competitive advantage.
With Ben Wilson, VP, Sexual Wellness, Reckitt, Seamus Higgins, Chief Creative Officer, Havas London, Alice Hodgson, Global Marketing Manager, Asahi Super Dry and Lorenzo Fruzza, Chief Design Officer, Havas London.
You don't need a dick to DJ
In 1992, Smokin Jo became the first and only woman to be voted the world's #1 DJ. Thirty-four years later, she's still behind the decks. In this fireside chat, Jo talks creativity, navigating an industry that wasn't built for her, and what it takes to keep making music that matters.
With Jo Joseph, DJ, Author, Yoga Teacher, Smokin Jo and Justin Pearse, Chief Content Officer and Co-Founder, Bluestripe Group.
Join Our Mailing List
Speaker updates, ticket giveaways and exciting opportunities - don’t miss a thing and be the first to know about what’s happening at MAD//Fest
