Camphouse’s Robert McEvily says CTV’s transformation into an interactive channel allows brands to engage and build loyalty in real time.
AI accelerates ad creation but requires human creativity to maintain authenticity and emotional connection.
Brands are shifting from constant pitching to personalized interactions, fostering deeper consumer loyalty.
McEvily envisions a future where advertising enhances the viewing experience, similar to Super Bowl ads.
CTV is no longer a mere offshoot of traditional broadcasting. What started as a digital rerun of linear TV is now a personalized, interactive channel where brands can sell, engage, and build loyalty in real time.
Robert McEvily, VP of Marketing for North America at Camphouse, calls it a tipping point. Creative, tech, and strategy are finally aligned, and the marketers who get it are pulling ahead.
Creative awakening: CTV is finally shaking off the old habit of recycling traditional TV spots. McEvily sees brands tapping into its real potential: interactivity. “Do you realize how quickly you can make a sale and excite somebody to make that purchase,” he asks, “instead of just showing them a commercial and hoping they remember your brand name?” It’s not about awareness anymore. It’s about action.
Bespoke BFFs: CTV ads are getting smarter, more personal, and far more interactive. “This isn’t just a traditional television commercial,” McEvily says. “It’s interaction.” Brands are learning to read the room, tailoring content to who’s watching and what they want. Creative teams, once sidelined, are now driving the sales process.
As brands earn trust, even direct messages are starting to feel less like ads and more like conversations. Think texts that feel like a nudge from a friend, not a sales pitch. “We’re heading toward very personal relationships with consumers,” McEvily notes. “A brand texting someone used to seem insane or obnoxious. Now it works.”
Save our souls: AI is making ad creation faster—and flatter. McEvily sees the opportunity, but draws a line: “The human element is always the key differentiator in terms of great creative.” AI can churn out content, but it can’t replicate intuition, taste, or emotion. “That special sauce of human creativity, combined with AI, is what’s going to make the ads stand out,” he says. “Otherwise, it’s just generic.”
“AI is a helper, it’s a tool,” adds McEvily. “It can enhance your talent, not dilute it.” But he warns against rushing in blindly, pointing to how social media’s explosive growth outpaced thoughtful implementation. Without a human touch, McEvily says, ads can feel lazy or impersonal—like no one cared who was watching. “It’s the difference between something crafted and something cranked out,” he notes.
No ulterior motives: Real personalization is about tone, trust, and timing. McEvily sees a shift from constant pitching to something that feels more like a casual check-in. “If your brand lends itself to that sort of a vibe, and it’s genuine without an ulterior motive,” he says, “that’s going to build a kind of loyalty that’s very hard to compete against.” McEvily compares it to the way people return to their favorite vacation spots: “They’re not hard selling you, they’re just making every experience really nice,” he explains.
Total touchdown: McEvily imagines a future where thoughtful, human-centered advertising becomes something people actually want. As platforms like Netflix embrace ad-supported tiers, he sees a shift coming. “I think we’re at a turning point. Twenty years down the road, I’d like to see advertising actively enhance the viewing experience,” he says.
The Super Bowl has long proven that when ads are creative, relevant, and entertaining, viewers don’t just tolerate them—they look forward to them. McEvily believes that kind of anticipation could become the norm: “If we get this right, advertising won’t be the thing you skip. It’ll be the thing you stay for.”
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