Inteligencia artificial generativa y liderazgo en agencias de publicidad: transformaciones del proceso creativo en España

Rebeca Antolín-Prieto; Nuria Ruiz-Lacaci

doi:10.26441/RC25.2-2026-4480

Authors

Rebeca Antolín-Prieto Universidad Complutense de Madrid (España) https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6777-923X
Nuria Ruiz-Lacaci Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (España)

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.26441/RC25.2-2026-4480

Keywords:

generative artificial intelligence, advertising creativity, creative leadership, creative process, advertising agencies, Spain

Abstract

Purpose. The expansion of generative artificial intelligence has intensified the debate about its impact on advertising creativity and the exercise of creative leadership. This article analyzes how creative directors at advertising agencies in Spain integrate these tools into their professional practice, considering the stages of the creative process in which they are used and their implications for judgment, authorship, and professional responsibility. Methodology. The study adopts a qualitative approach based on 12 in-depth interviews conducted in December 2025 and January 2026 with creative leaders from both international networks and independent agencies. Results and conclusions. The thematic analysis shows that generative artificial intelligence is primarily incorporated as a support tool for exploring alternatives, generating versions, and improving the visualization and presentation of proposals. However, the conceptual definition of the creative idea and strategic decision-making continue to rest with creative leadership. The results indicate that AI does not replace human creativity, but rather accelerates and expands the creative process by increasing the capacity for exploration, the generation of versions, and the presentability of proposals, reinforcing the centrality of professional judgment as a selection and contextualization factor. Original contributions. From the Spanish context, the article provides empirical evidence to the field of advertising communication on how generative artificial intelligence transforms the creative process without displacing the symbolic core of creative leadership.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

Rebeca Antolín-Prieto, Universidad Complutense de Madrid (España)

PhD in Information Sciences from the Complutense University of Madrid and BA in Advertising and Public Relations from the University of Navarra. She holds postgraduate degrees in advertising communication (Miami Ad School) and digital marketing (IE Business School). Her professional background includes extensive experience as an art director and creative in leading multinational agencies (McCann Erickson, Bassat Ogilvy, DDB) and in the pharmaceutical industry (Merck Sharp & Dohme). She is currently a lecturer at the Faculty of Information Sciences at the Complutense University of Madrid. Her research focuses on advertising creativity, digital marketing, communication networks, corporate social responsibility, biometric analysis, and neuromarketing, with publications in peer-reviewed journals.
Nuria Ruiz-Lacaci, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (España)

Nuria Ruiz Lacaci is an Assistant Professor at Rey Juan Carlos University, where she obtained her PhD in Social and Legal Sciences. Her research focuses on online consumer behaviour, approached from practical and theoretical perspectives that integrate information science, data science and neuromarketing.

She is a reviewer for scientific journals indexed in impact rankings, a guest editor for special issues, and an evaluator at prestigious international conferences.

She has more than ten years of professional experience in marketing departments of companies in different sectors, which has allowed her to connect the academic world with business practice.

References

Accenture (2025). Accenture Technology Vision 2025: New age of AI to bring unprecedented autonomy to business. https://tinyurl.com/3mx6yesr

Amabile, T. M. (1996). Creativity in context: Update to the social psychology of creativity. Westview Press.

Amankwah-Amoah, J., Abdalla, S., Mogaji, E., Elbanna, A., & Dwivedi, Y. (2024). The impending disruption of creative industries by generative AI: Opportunities, challenges, and research agenda. International Journal of Information Management. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2024.102759 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2024.102759

Banh, L., & Strobel, G. (2023). Generative artificial intelligence. Electronic Markets, 33, Article 63. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12525-023-00680-1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12525-023-00680-1

Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa DOI: https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa

Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2021). Thematic analysis: A practical guide. SAGE. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4135/9781036232078.n9

Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1996). Creativity: Flow and the psychology of discovery and invention. HarperCollins.

Davenport, T. H., & Ronanki, R. (2018). Artificial intelligence for the real world. Harvard Business Review, 96(1), 108–116.

Davenport, T. H., Guha, A., Grewal, D., & Bressgott, T. (2020). How artificial intelligence will change the future of marketing. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 48, 24–42. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-019-00696-0 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-019-00696-0

Dwivedi, Y. K., Hughes, L., Ismagilova, E., Aarts, G., Coombs, C., Crick, T., Williams, M. D. (2021). Artificial intelligence (AI): Multidisciplinary perspectives on emerging challenges, opportunities, and agenda for research, practice and policy. International Journal of Information Management, 57, 101994. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2019.08.002 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2019.08.002

Feuerriegel, S., Hartmann, J., Janiesch, C., & Zschech, P. (2024). Generative AI. Business & Information Systems Engineering, 66, 111–126. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12599-023-00834-7 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12599-023-00834-7

Floridi, L., & Cowls, J. (2022). A unified framework of five principles for AI in society. Machine Learning and the City, 535–545. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119815075.ch45 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119815075.ch45

Floridi, L., Cowls, J., Beltrametti, M., Chatila, R., Chazerand, P., Dignum, V., Vayena, E. (2018). AI4People—An ethical framework for a good AI society. Minds and Machines, 28, 689–707. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11023-018-9482-5 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11023-018-9482-5

Gao, B., Wang, Y., Xie, H., Hu, Y., & Hu, Y. (2023). Artificial intelligence in advertising: Advancements, challenges, and ethical considerations. SAGE Open, 13(4), 21582440231210759. https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440231210759 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440231210759

García-Peñalvo, F. J., & Vázquez-Ingelmo, A. (2023). What do we mean by GenAI? A systematic mapping of the evolution, trends, and techniques involved in generative AI. International Journal of Interactive Multimedia and Artificial Intelligence, 8(4), 7–16. https://doi.org/10.9781/ijimai.2023.07.006 DOI: https://doi.org/10.9781/ijimai.2023.07.006

Grewal, D., Satornino, C. B., Davenport, T. H., & Guha, A. (2024). How generative AI is shaping the future of marketing. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-024-00967-9 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-024-01064-3

Grilli, L., & Pedota, M. (2024). Creativity and artificial intelligence: A multilevel perspective. Creativity and Innovation Management, 33(2), 234–247. https://doi.org/10.1111/caim.12580 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/caim.12580

Guest, G., Bunce, A., & Johnson, L. (2006). How many interviews are enough? Field Methods, 18(1), 59–82. https://doi.org/10.1177/1525822X05279903 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1525822X05279903

Guilford, J. P. (1950). Creativity. American Psychologist, 5(9), 444–454. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0063487 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/h0063487

Habib, S., & Patwardhan, P. (2020). Training to lead in an era of change: Insights from ad agency leaders. Journal of Advertising Education, 24(1), 36–51. https://doi.org/10.1177/1098048219840783 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1098048219840783

Heitmann, M., Jansen, T., Reisenbichler, M., & Schweidel, D. (2025). Picture perfect: Engaging customers with visual generative AI. Journal of Marketing. https://doi.org/10.1177/00222429251356993 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/00222429251356993

Hernández Martínez, C. (1999). Manual de creatividad publicitaria. Síntesis. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1387/zer.17344

Huang, M. H., & Rust, R. T. (2021). A strategic framework for artificial intelligence in marketing. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 49, 30–50. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-020-00749-9 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-020-00749-9

IAB Spain, & Adevinta. (2025). Top tendencias digitales 2025. IAB Spain. https://tinyurl.com/fvzkmey4

Islam, G., & Greenwood, M. (2024). Generative artificial intelligence as hypercommons: Ethics of authorship and ownership. Journal of Business Ethics, 192, 659–663. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-024-05741-9 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-024-05741-9

Koivisto, M., & Grassini, S. (2023). Best humans still outperform artificial intelligence in a creative divergent thinking task. Scientific Reports, 13, 13601. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-40858-3 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-40858-3

Koslow, S. (2015). I love creative advertising. Journal of Advertising Research, 55(1), 5–8. https://doi.org/10.2501/JAR-55-1-005-008 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2501/JAR-55-1-005-008

Kowalczyk, P., Röder, M., & Thiesse, F. (2023). Nudging creativity in digital marketing with generative artificial intelligence. https://tinyurl.com/469w9h3d

Loureiro, S. M. C., Guerreiro, J., & Tussyadiah, I. (2021). Artificial intelligence in business. Journal of Business Research, 129, 911–926. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.11.001 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.11.001

McCormack, J., Gifford, T., & Hutchings, P. (2019). Autonomy, authenticity, authorship and intention in computer generated art. In EvoStar (pp. 35–50). Springer. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.1903.02166 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-16667-0_3

Micaletto Belda, J. P., Bertola Garbellini, A., & Martín Ramallal, P. (2026). Creatividad publicitaria e inteligencia artificial: una mirada desde el sector. index.Comunicación, 16(1), 123–148. https://doi.org/10.62008/ixc/16/01Creati DOI: https://doi.org/10.62008/ixc/16/01Creati

Osadchaya, E., Marder, B., Yule, J., Yau, A., Lavertu, L., Stylos, N., Oliver, S., Angell, R., De Regt, A., Gao, L., Qi, K., Zhang, W., Zhang, Y., Li, J., & Alrabiah, S. (2024). To ChatGPT, or not to ChatGPT: Navigating the paradoxes of generative AI in the advertising industry. Business Horizons. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2024.05.002 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2024.05.002

PwC. (2025). AI-powered ads to drive growth for global entertainment and media industry. https://tinyurl.com/pwzamw6r

Runco, M. A., & Jaeger, G. J. (2012). The standard definition of creativity. Creativity Research Journal, 24(1), 92–96. https://doi.org/10.1080/10400419.2012.650092 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10400419.2012.650092

Sawyer, R. K. (2012). Explaining creativity: The science of human innovation. Oxford University Press.

Schoenherr, J., Abbas, R., Michael, K., Rivas, P., & Anderson, T. (2023). Designing AI using a human-centered approach: Explainability and accuracy toward trustworthiness. IEEE Transactions on Technology and Society, 4(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1109/TTS.2023.3245678 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/TTS.2023.3257627

Smith, R. E., MacKenzie, S. B., Yang, X., Buchholz, L. M., & Darley, W. K. (2007). Modeling the determinants and effects of creativity in advertising. Marketing Science, 26(6), 819–833. https://doi.org/10.1287/mksc.1070.0272 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1287/mksc.1070.0272

Star, S. L. (1999). The ethnography of infrastructure. American Behavioral Scientist, 43(3), 377–391. https://doi.org/10.1177/00027649921955326 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/00027649921955326

Star, S. L., & Ruhleder, K. (1996). Steps toward an ecology of infrastructure. Information Systems Research, 7(1), 111–134. https://doi.org/10.1287/isre.7.1.111 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1287/isre.7.1.111

Tracy, S. J. (2010). Qualitative quality. Qualitative Inquiry, 16(10), 837–851. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077800410383121 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1077800410383121

Vakratsas, D., & Wang, X. (2020). Artificial intelligence in advertising creativity. Journal of Advertising, 50(1), 39–51. https://doi.org/10.1080/00913367.2020.1843090 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00913367.2020.1843090

Velmurugan, R., Sudarvel, J., Bhuvaneswari, R., Ganesh, R. S., Jayanthi, N., & Mariyappan, M. S. R. (2024). Artificial intelligence and creativity in marketing. In Balancing automation and human interaction in modern marketing (pp. 73–81). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-2276-5.ch005 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-2276-5.ch005

Wahid, R., Mero, J., & Ritala, P. (2023). Editorial: Written by ChatGPT, illustrated by Midjourney: Generative AI for content marketing. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, 35(8), 1813–1822. https://doi.org/10.1108/APJML-10-2023-994 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/APJML-10-2023-994

Yin, R. K. (2018). Case study research and applications: Design and methods (6th ed.). Sage Publications.