The big idea isn’t dead – it just got an upgrade.

If you’ve been around advertising long enough, you’ve probably heard someone declare “the big idea is dead.” Usually followed by a slide deck full of performance data, TikTok trends and the latest AI-generated creative wizardry.

But here’s the thing – the big idea isn’t dead. It’s very much alive. It’s just got an upgrade.

What’s changed isn’t the need for a bold, single-minded creative idea. What’s changed is how that idea comes to life – the tools, the technology, the channels and the playgrounds we now get to play in. From billboards to CGI, TV spots to AR activations, the heart of great advertising remains the same: a strong, simple idea that makes people feel something.

Let’s rewind. In the golden age of advertising, the big idea was what every campaign was built around. Think Levi’s “When the World Zigs, Zag” or Volkswagen’s “Think Small”. Simple, clever, human ideas that cut through the noise and stuck.

Those ideas didn’t just sell products – they shaped culture. They gave brands something to stand for.

Fast forward to today, and while the media landscape is unrecognisable – fragmented, interactive, algorithmically fuelled – people still crave the same thing. A reason to care. A story to believe in. Something worth sharing.

The big idea still does that. It just needs to work harder across a thousand touchpoints, not one 30-second TV slot or standalone billboard spot.

Modern technology has supercharged what’s possible creatively. It’s not the death of the big idea, it’s the canvas that lets us paint bigger, brighter and bolder than ever.

Take the explosion of CGI out-of-home campaigns. Remember Maybelline’s viral tube lash stunt, where giant mascara wands brushed the lashes of London Underground trains as they rolled into the station? Or the Barbie takeover, where landmarks across the world were digitally transformed in that unmistakable shade of pink?

Those ideas worked because the technology caught our attention but the idea kept us watching. It was playful, disruptive and rooted in brand truth. Maybelline wasn’t just selling mascara. It was showing that beauty could stop you in your tracks – literally.

That’s the magic of a big idea meeting new technology. The tech gets you to look. The idea gets you to remember.

Mixed reality, AR and immersive experiences have opened the door for storytelling in ways old-school ad execs could only dream of.

Take Nike’s Airphoria experience in Fortnite – a fully interactive brand world built around the idea of flight, freedom and the iconic Air Max design. It wasn’t just an ad. It was an environment, a shared digital playground that embodied everything the brand stands for.

Or Coca-Cola’s “Create Real Magic” campaign, where AI was used to let fans and creators co-create artwork in the brand’s distinctive visual style. Again, the tech was impressive. But the idea – that creativity and connection can be shared between brand and consumer – was what made it really work.

The best mixed reality work isn’t about showing off digital wizardry. It’s about letting people feel the brand in new, immersive ways.

In the old days, a big idea could live in a single medium. Today, it needs to be omnipresent, evolving and adaptable across formats, audiences and moments.

But the principle hasn’t changed. Whether it’s a bold statement on a billboard or a micro-experience on your phone, the big idea is the connective tissue that ties it all together.

When done right, it builds momentum. It moves beyond media and becomes a movement.

Look at Dove’s “Real Beauty” platform. What started as a provocative idea challenging beauty stereotypes has lived through countless evolutions, from print and TV to AR filters, social campaigns and VR experiences. All anchored by one core thought: beauty should be inclusive.

Without that big idea at its heart, Dove’s message could easily have been lost in the churn of new formats. Instead, it’s one of the longest-running, most meaningful brand platforms in modern history.

At Holdens, we believe technology should serve the idea, not the other way around. A flashy execution might grab a scroll or two, but without a strong idea behind it, it fades fast.

The campaigns that last – the ones people talk about, share, and remember – always come back to one thing: creative thinking with a human heartbeat.

That’s why the big idea isn’t a relic. It’s a requirement. It’s what gives a brand consistency in an inconsistent world. It’s what makes all those clever tools – AI, CGI, AR, data-driven targeting – actually mean something.

Because no matter how much the tools evolve, great advertising will always start with a simple truth: a big idea that moves people.

So next time someone tells you the big idea is dead or unnecessary, remind them: we’re still doing what the ad giants did before us – just with more impressive toolkits and bigger playgrounds.

The formats might have changed, but the fundamentals haven’t. Great work still needs a great idea. Something brave. Something true. Something built to move hearts, not just shift impressions.

At Holdens, that’s what we’re about. Helping ambitious brands find their big idea, then bringing it to life across every channel that matters. From billboards to the metaverse, from pixels to physical experiences – it all starts with an idea worth believing in.

Because the big idea isn’t dead. Long live the big idea.

Looking for your brand’s big idea? Let’s make something bold, brilliant and built to move people. Get in touch.