Being a creator was once seen as a separate career path to the ‘traditional’ ad industry, but increasingly those operating in the social space are being tapped for their skills and advice in creating effective branded content. Last year the One Club for Creativity launched One Creator Lab with TikTok, described as an “intensive, nearly cost-free 20-week training programme” that combines advertising fundamentals with the maker skills and tools needed to bridge the gap between creators and agency creatives.

This comes alongside the rise of other notable creator and brand collabs such as Gymshark naming bodybuilder and influencer David Laid its first ‘creative director of lifting’ last year. These developments suggest a new way of working, but is it just the latest trend or the sign of a more fundamental shift?

“The places and spaces that consumers and fans get their information from today is changing,” says Jamie Falkowski, CCO and partner at Day One Agency in New York. “Trust comes less and less from established players and outlets and more from individuals and creators. Creators can help our partners drive authentic conversations and help to take the connection or reason to be interested in a brand or product out of the brand’s hands and into the fans’ hands.”