In the wake of Ciclope, Florence Jacob (president of the European Producers Association and French Union of Cinema and Commercial Film Producers) began to notice a growing disconnect across the industry, as many are unwilling to confront the true scale and impact of in-house production and speak honestly about it with advertisers.
Instead, a quiet fatalism has taken hold. From agencies to production companies, the focus has shifted from shaping the future to surviving the present. Which means that creative ambition has been replaced with financial optimisation and long-term value is being sacrificed for short-term extraction.
Here, Florence questions the health of the industry and asks brands to be more intentional with who they partner with.
As president of the European and French associations of independent producers, I see an industry that acknowledges how things are transforming today but also avoids addressing it head-on. We’re stuck in survival mode – and that includes agencies.
Rather than defining what this new era should be, we’re focused on extracting immediate value, as if anticipating an endpoint. And that’s echoed from all aspects of the industry, from agency CEOs, clients, directors or even producers.
One of the biggest shifts has been the consolidation of power from everyone within the industry; clients, marketing and procurement included. That has weakened the creative core of agencies, triggering a ripple effect throughout the production ecosystem and contributing to a steady decline in production value.
Creativity and financial control have never been natural allies – and it shows. Agencies are now run increasingly by account management rather than creative leaders, while clients hand the decision-making reins to procurement. This has contributed to the situation we now find ourselves in and has affected the fluctuating performance of brands, with a clear shift away from creative ambition toward cost efficiency. And it’s impacting every link in the creative and production chain.
This isn’t a minor adjustment, it’s a defining force that’s reshaping our entire industry.
Change can elevate an industry. But recent years suggest something more chaotic. We may be in the eye of the storm – a moment where everyone does everything, yet only a few produce truly outstanding work. And yet, the players who succeed remain the same: those who are still committed to precision, craft and excellence, where competition drives quality and every piece of work raises the bar.
That standard is eroding, lost in a flood of content and production noise. Production isn’t a commodity. It’s a craft – a tailored ‘savoir-faire’. It cannot be approached like an assembly line. This is a deeply human business, where every decision shapes the final outcome.
When production is internalised to offset financial pressure, the balance breaks. In France, we’ve seen this over the past 15 years: in-house models haven’t scaled quality or consistently delivered on cost. True competition remains the best way to producing quality work at the right price.
Some brands – particularly across the luxury, tech and sports sectors – are already course-correcting. They are returning to more focused, intentional communication and seeing stronger results than those relying on high volumes of low-cost, interchangeable content.
At its core, our job remains the same: to attract and move consumers. But today’s audiences have seen it all. Volume is no longer enough. If it’s not good, it doesn’t land.
This is why we’re addressing advertisers directly. They are the only ones with the power to reset the standard – just as we’re the ones building the careers of directors and producers. Quality has been compromised and only clients can demand its return. There is space for every production model to coexist. The question is simple: how good do you want your brand to be?
It’s time for a more direct conversation with advertisers. Agencies are not solely responsible for this shift. Many are constrained by legacy structures, shrinking fees, reduced production volumes and tougher commercial terms; and these pressures make it difficult to introduce constructive change and meant clients have changed strategies. Clients have internalised processes, dropped agency fees, produced less and made payment terms harder to roll out.
In France, we’ve responded by working more directly with clients. As in-house production expanded, we adapted – building closer, more transparent relationships. They aren’t easier – as education and adjustment is required on both sides – but they are clearer and there’s less financial opacity. While conversations can be tough, they are ultimately more productive.
Inevitably, the in-house model will continue to evolve as advertisers seek access to broader and more diverse production ecosystems.
And that’s without even mentioning AI, which is the industry’s next frontier. Of course, it requires structure and regulation, otherwise we risk brands becoming indistinguishable. But that’s another chapter.