Where is the agency model headed?

Campaign ME

2 days ago

Where is the agency model headed?
That's the question we asked ourselves recently when Saudi FMCG brand invited us to pitch for the launch of their new product category. It was a full-service brief covering brand positioning, launch campaign, execution, media planning, and buying. Naturally, we were told it would be a multi-round process. Our first instinct? Here we go again. Weeks of back-and-forth, creative wars, long nights, and internal sparring, with the hope of landing the final knockout punch.
But there was a shift. And before deciding how to respond, we paused. We chose to be still.
Because sometimes, stillness gives you more answers than constantly operating at 100 miles per hour.
We handed the entire pitch to one of our account directors. Just one person. No departments. No internal back-and-forth. Just clarity, creativity, and the right tools. He worked solo, using ChatGPT for strategy, Midjourney for visualisation, Gemini VEO for mockups, and Gamma to bring it all together. We told the team, 'Let's enjoy the moment and just observe.'
What we witnessed was one person, deeply familiar with the FMCG space, who called the LLM model Rhea. Yep, he named her and interacted with her like a human. The outcome? More nuanced, relatable outputs – especially critical, considering the brief was designed to appeal to Gen Z.
We saw that same person transform scattered notes into a powerful, insight-led presentation while the rest of the team stood still, watching in awe. Not of him, but of where we are clearly heading.
One person. A full-service pitch. The result? Account in the bag.
What is the future of agencies? It was answered in real time. It became clear that the future of agency work may not require multiple layers to be effective. A single person, equipped with the right tools and clarity, can deliver what previously required entire teams.
This isn't a celebration of solo heroes. It's a wake-up call to how radically the agency model is being reshaped.
For decades, agencies have operated in silos, with strategy in one corner, creative in another, and media somewhere else, all held together by process-heavy workflows and a reliance on manpower. But the game is changing. Smart individuals, using intuitive and powerful tools, can ideate, plan, create, and deliver campaigns at a speed and scale that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago.
This is not about replacing teams. It's about recalibrating how we work.
What once required a room full of people can now, in some cases, be done by one person with range. Not because they're superhuman, but because they understand how to prompt, adapt, and build using the platforms available to all of us. The barriers to entry have fallen and with them, the myth that size guarantees capability.
Agencies that remain locked in traditional structures – layered hierarchies, long approval chains, departmental dependencies, risk becoming too slow for today's market. The ability to move from brief to execution rapidly, without compromising quality, is becoming the expectation, not the exception.
Brands are shifting gears too. Many now expect their agency partners to function like business collaborators, not just execution arms. They're looking for problem-solvers who bring strategic thinking, creativity, and operational efficiency to the table, not just polished decks.
So where does that leave the industry?
It leaves us at a crossroads. One path continues business as usual, with large teams, disconnected tools, and the belief that more heads equal better output. The other embraces a new reality. One where tools have democratised execution, and agencies are training teams to think cross-functionally, become fluent with AI, and adopt more agile, leaner models.
AI is no longer a future disruptor. It is already levelling the playing field. Small agencies, freelancers, even in-house brand teams now have access to the same creative firepower once reserved for large networks. The difference no longer lies in access; it lies in how well people think and how quickly they act on that thinking.
In this new era, thinking smart will matter more than thinking big.
So, as agencies and brands, we need to ask ourselves: Are we building cultures that reward curiosity, experimentation, and efficiency rather than just process?
The future is here. It belongs to the curious, the clear, and the calm – those who move with intent and pause with purpose.
By Sameer Abdur Rehman, Founder and CEO, Xplore