by Emir Shafri, Chief Creative Officer, Publicis Groupe Malaysia, at ADFEST

We all know content is king, but the kingdom has gotten faster and more furious. In a stat that’s probably outdated by the time you read this, 34 million videos are uploaded to TikTok daily. Gone are the days when long-form, big-budget, meticulously crafted content dominated. Instead, shorter, faster, and lo-fi reigns. These formats can be up to 2.5 times more engaging (Social Sprout, 2025), leading 2 in 3 marketers to believe short-form trumps long-form (Marketing Interactive, 2024).

Yet, great creative work thrives on collisions of perspectives, crafts, and disciplines. It requires deep listening, cultural tuning, and intentional experimentation. Sounds like a lot of time we don’t have in a fast-content world. So, is there still room (and time) for creative collisions? Or are we just racing to keep up with the algorithm?

The goal isn’t to churn out bite-sized content for the sake of it. The best creative collisions don’t come from length but depth of thought. And for that, you need passion. Rajdeepak Das, Chief Creative Officer of Publicis Groupe & Chairman of Leo South Asia, and Design Lotus and Print & Outdoor Craft Lotus Jury President, says, “When you set the right intentions and are passionate about the work, culture, craft, and people, you’ll make time to explore and perfect these collisions, even when it seems like there’s no time.”

So, is long-form storytelling dead? Not at all. People still binge-watch movies and series. Even TikTok has 10-minute formats. “It’s not about choosing between long or short but knowing when to craft an immersive story and when to go punchy and lo-fi,” says Anny Havercroft, Head of Global Business Marketing, South East Asia & Global Marketing Solutions APAC of TikTok and Entertainment Lotus, Media Lotus, and PR Lotus Jury President. “Tailor your message to the right audience and format, and you’ll find space for both. Plus, tools like TikTok Creative Center help keep your finger on the pulse of trends, making it easier to collide with what’s culturally relevant.”

You may feel like there’s no time to tailor messages meticulously. But forget chasing perfection; chase resonance. Pei Ling Ho, Executive Creative Director of Publicis Chemistry Singapore and speaker for The Power of Fast, Flawed and Fierce Content, puts it best: “Great creative isn’t a one-time drop but a sustained cultural wave in this era of fast, flawed and fierce content.”

She also encourages experimentation and co-creation. “Instead of chasing polish for every single piece, get comfortable fishing. Feed content with bold experiments to see what sticks, and then learn what to let go to allow the audience to shape it along with you.”

Creativity isn’t simply about choosing between speed and substance. It’s about knowing when to craft, when to experiment, and when to let culture shape the work. The best ideas don’t just quickly keep up with the algorithm; they collide with culture in ways that make people stop, feel, and engage. Whether it’s a 6-second clip or a 60-minute film, the magic happens when we create with intention, passion, and curiosity. Because in the end, creativity isn’t just about moving fast. It’s about moving people.