Fewer Decks, More Doing: Dan Roberts on AI as a Tool and How Earned Builds Brands Faster

Fewer decks, more doing: Dan Roberts on AI, earned media, and keeping young talent

Dan Roberts, executive creative director at The Romans and juror at The Drum Awards Festival, is clear on what wins in 2025: originality proved through execution. Less theater. More shipping. Ads that people talk about without being told to.

His stance is simple: AI is a tool, earned media builds brands fast, and leadership is measured by what gets made. The risk if we ignore this? Losing the next wave of makers to their own studios.

AI is a tool, not a takeover

"AI won't replace creatives, but creatives who don't use it will be replaced by those who do." Treat it like Photoshop: an extra string to your bow, not the bow. Original ideas still do the heavy lifting.

• Use AI for comps, variations, and rough edits to speed the first 80%-save your taste and craft for the final 20%.
• Build a prompt library, version fast, and keep a clear audit trail for rights and references.
• Stress-test ideas with AI prototypes before a client meeting. Prove, don't pitch.

If you need a structured way to level up, explore practical AI courses for creatives and marketers via Complete AI Training.

Brand vs performance: stop feeding the scroll

We've trained feeds to reward instant hits and forget the next day. That loop burns budgets and brands. Short-term spikes are fine, but they can't be the plan.

• Balance brand and activation. The evidence is clear on long-term effects and pricing power-see IPA's frameworks in The Long and the Short of It.
• Set two scorecards: one for immediate response, one for memory, fame, and distinctiveness. Fund both.
• Build fluent devices, sonic/visual assets, and recurring rituals that stack equity over time.

Earned first in 2025

Roberts' channel of choice: earned. Create moments that break into culture and group chats. If people share it by choice, you're winning.

• Design for talkability: a sharp tension, a cultural truth, a visible act. Then make the asset unavoidable in the feed.
• Ship fast with PR baked in. Treat PR like a product feature, not an afterthought.
• Measure modern signals: search lift, unprompted mentions, share rates, stitches/duets, WhatsApp forwards.

Class representation is a growth lever

Roberts calls out a gap: working-class people are the majority in the UK, yet agencies don't reflect that. If we miss lived experience, we miss the brief. For context on mobility and access, review the UK's Social Mobility Commission updates here.

• Open the door: paid placements only, no degree filters, skills-first trials, regional and remote options.
• Budget for access: travel, kit, and software stipends; transparent pay bands.
• Track what matters: measure socio-economic background anonymously and report progress.

Lead by making, not meeting

"Execution shows clarity." Ideas are easy; prototypes are proof. If you need 60 slides, you don't have it yet.

• Adopt a 48-hour proof rule: one-page idea, one scrappy prototype, one live test.
• Cap pre-pro decks and replace with lo-fi demos: animatics, rough cuts, mock feeds.
• Pre-approve a maker budget so teams can act without waiting on a chain of emails.

Keep young talent in the room

Roberts' warning: the best young creatives can build an audience with a laptop and a phone. If agencies feel like slow, approval-heavy machines, they'll opt out.

• Give ownership: clear bylines, public credit, and reels they can post.
• Ship often: weekly drops > quarterly reveals. Momentum beats perfection.
• Mentor through doing: pair juniors with makers, not just managers. Fund side projects that ladder to the brand.

What wins at awards in 2025

Judges don't need theater; they need proof. Culture moved, brand grew, and the execution held up under pressure.

• Fresh idea rooted in a human truth.
• Cultural spark that travels without paid media.
• Executional proof: prototypes, live tests, real users.
• Measurable change beyond vanity metrics.
• Assets that strengthen the brand long term.

Quick checklist for your next brief

• What can we make this week, not next quarter?
• Would people share this without being asked?
• Where does this live in group chats and creator feeds?
• How does AI help us get to a better first draft today?
• Who owns the prototype, and when does it go live?
• What part of this builds memory the next time people shop?

Be part of what's next at The Drum Awards

The Drum Awards Festival celebrates work that moves culture and business. Judges like Dan Roberts are raising the bar. Fewer decks. More doing.