I'm actually jealous of India: Youri Guerassimov of Marcel on Indian tech-led ads vs France

When Youri Guerassimov, the CCO and CEO of Marcel, a French creative agency from Publicis Groupe, took to stage for his Goafest 2025 session, he presented to the audience a series of his award-winning campaigns that had one signature common denominator: They were all digital-first and tech-led. 

But as per the adveritising maven, Indian tech-led campaigns, i.e, campaigns that are manufactured with innovative new age tools, are not just at par with the rest of the world, but are actually better.

"I'm jealous of India. Because in a way, I think that your technology-led creative ideas are better than the ones I see in France,” Youri Guerassimov says, speaking to afaqs! on the sidelines of the event.

The speaker isn't just any agency executive offering diplomatic pleasantries either. Guerassimov has won almost every major award of the industry including 2 Cannes Lions Grand Prix, 3 D&AD Black Pencils and a White Pencil, One Show Green Pencil, 2 NY Festival Best of Show, Grandy, Grand LIA, 8 Eurobest Grand Prix and more than 40 Cannes Lions.

Last year, his agency garnered international attention with its 'WoMen's Football' campaign for French mobile network brand Orange, securing 14 D&AD Pencils and 10 Cannes Lions. This also happened to be the campaign that, besides prompting applause from the audience, also sparked this conversation. Watch the ad below.

So, when this creative titan asserts that Indian tech-led advertising surpasses that of France, here is what it really means.

India, lead the way

Guerassimov's assessment of Indian advertising is refreshingly unvarnished. His praise isn't the usual diplomatic fare served at international festivals, but a genuine professional jealousy that seemed to surprise even him. 

His observation highlights a fundamental aspect of India's creative ecosystem: "You are a country of engineers," he notes, recognising that the country's ad industry is ready for a tech-driven advertising revolution, and ready to take the lead.

"India is probably doing better than every country in the world. Not all ads made in India are tech-led. But those that are, are often better than others. Indian advertising is diverse. It's crazy, it's entertaining, it's emotional. It is kind of perfect," he says.

Guerassimov, while acknowleding that the new generation technology has found a strong footing in modern advertising, also highlights that it has impacted many other aspects of the industry, such as the hiring protocols that creative agencies are now employing.

Evolving recruitment paradigm

The traditional creative department populated by art school graduates and English literature majors is evolving into something rather more hybrid. 

Guerassimov is refreshingly frank about his expectations: "Being aware of technology is part of your job. A creative who is not interested in what is happening with technology is missing out on something in his way of thinking and in his career."

But his demands extend far beyond mere technological literacy. "I need my creatives to be interested in tech and beyond," he explains. "You must be mindful of what is happening in the world: politically, historically, in terms of entertainment, in terms of trends, fashion...everything."

At Marcel, this philosophy translates into a hands-on approach to modern technology. "At our agency, we have this mentality of makers," Guerassimov says, referring to adapting to evolving trends of the ad world. "Our motto actually is ‘make things that change things’. And all the emphasis is on ‘making’".

This isn't mere corporate rhetoric. Marcel operates its own tech department specifically to develop in-house technological solutions. As Guerassimov puts it, "We want to have the ability to make our own tech approaches in advertising. And that helps us become even better experts."

The strategy proved its worth in the agency’s last year’s campaign for French discount supermarket Lidl, which required creating bespoke artificial intelligence to help customers generate brand merchandising. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by MARCEL (@marcelagency)

"We did a really good version of the campaign all within the agency and then collaborated with an AI agency to make it perfect," Guerassimov recalls.

But what of the existing workforce—those seasoned professionals who've spent decades perfecting their craft in a pre-digital world? Guerassimov's solution is systematic.

Marcel began comprehensive AI training sessions over eighteen months ago, when artificial intelligence had just started to find its footing in the ad business.

These weren't perfunctory workshops designed to tick corporate training boxes. The agency ran sessions for everyone—creatives, account managers, strategists, the lot.

They established what Guerassimov calls "extracurricular" sessions, where AI specialists make themselves available during three-hour morning sessions to help colleagues navigate the technological frontier.

"We try to befriend, to understand what is happening," he explains, describing the initial approach as deliberately unthreatening. 

“We create an open space where we have one or two very cool specialists of AI that are already working at the agency but can explain to other people how it works. So, employees can come, ask questions and get acquainted with the new tech.”

Client-agency relationships are changing

The tech seems to have become such a significant part of the industry that it has also altered the way clients and agencies engage. 

According to Guerassimov, the client-agency relationship is evolving alongside these technological shifts, although it is still in its early stages.

Brands are grappling with fundamental questions about AI usage, for instance. Not merely whether to employ it, but how extensively. While some brands are more experimental with artificial intelligence, others are still relying on authentic humanness in their creatives.

“We are seeing more and more clients ask themselves if they wish to use AI. But it is still just the first step, which is very important. The way we work at the agency has already changed, however.”

As the advertising industry continues its technological evolution, Guerassimov's observations suggest that India's natural advantages—its engineering culture, technological fluency, and creative ambition—position it not as a follower of Western trends, but as a potential leader in advertising's next chapter.