A creative tool to inspire,
not give you the answers.

‍New York, NY — June 10, 2025 — Today, Springboards, an AI platform accelerating creativity in advertising, and a collective of global advertising and marketing associations, creative leaders, and AI experts – including 4As (American Association of Advertising Agencies), ACA (Advertising Council Australia), APG, D&AD, IAA (International Advertising Association), IPA, and The One Club for Creativity – announced an initiative to establish the first comprehensive Creativity Benchmark designed to evaluate the creative instincts of large language models (LLMs) in the context of advertising and creativity.

Read more about the initiative in Ad Age.

The initiative seeks to answer a critical question: Which LLMs are most useful for creative inspiration, variation, and problem-solving across the advertising process? At a time when AI tools are increasingly embedded in the workflows of strategists and creatives, this benchmark fills a crucial gap in industry knowledge.

“Existing AI benchmarks test logic, accuracy, and comprehension,” said Pip Bingemann, CEO/Cofounder at Springboards. “But advertising isn’t about right answers, it’s about originality, insight, and impact. This will be the first benchmark designed around the real creative instincts we value in agencies and brands so that people in creative industries can understand what models are good for the work they do.”

An Industry-Wide Effort to Set New Standards

The initiative is supported by a technical and research team that includes PhDs in machine learning, AI engineers, and former researchers from Google. Together, they’ve designed a system that blends data analysis with human taste to reveal which models excel across various types of creative thinking.

The evaluation departs from traditional AI testing methods by focusing on creative instincts, not coached outputs. Key criteria include:

• Human judgment of insight, idea, and “wild” idea quality
• Creative variance (how different or repetitive model responses are)
• AI versus human judging comparisons to assess alignment with human taste
• Creative problem-solving tests to measure the ability to think outside the box

Participants globally will judge outputs in a "Tinder for Ideas" style experience, receiving personal insights about their creative preferences and the LLMs that best match them.

Fueling Creativity and Bridging the Knowledge Gap

"The 4As is excited to help support this important research initiative,“ said Jeremy Lockhorn, SVP, Creative Technologies & Innovation at 4As. “Our members are rapidly adopting generative AI across many aspects of their business, and actively seeking guidance on which platforms can help achieve the most innovative and impactful work for their clients."

“There's a ton of stuff about how good different LLMs are at solving maths problems, coding and logic-based tasks and tests—but that's not much use for the creative industries,” said Tom Roach, VP Brand Strategy at Jellyfish/Brandtech, on behalf of the APG. “We need to know which models are best at generating new and original creative ideas, but at the moment we're all flying blind on that. It's exciting to be involved in a project that can help us be more creative with this incredible new technology and help the industry as a whole make better informed decisions on the AI tech we use to drive better results for our clients.” 

“We’re at a crossroads in the creative industries,” said Zoe Scaman, Founder of Bodacious. “AI is already embedded in our workflows, shaping ideas and generating outputs, but we’ve had no meaningful way to assess its contribution to creativity itself. This benchmark changes that. It’s not about pitting machines against humans, but about understanding which tools can genuinely elevate our thinking, unlock new directions, and push creative boundaries. If we want to harness AI not just for efficiency but for originality, we need standards rooted in real creative instincts, not just logic and grammar. That’s what this initiative delivers. And that’s why it’s vital, especially now.”

“The future of creativity is human – but AI’s ability to stimulate human creativity is exciting. Especially when we can learn which models produce the kind of interesting, divergent, and sometimes bonkers provocations that trigger our own individual creative brains in just the right way.” said James Hurman, Founding Partner of Previously Unavailable.

The study is currently accepting participants. Interested individuals can vote on LLM outputs at CreativityBenchmark.ai. 

Read more about it here.

‍

Media Inquiries

Kite Hill for Springboards

springboards@kitehillpr.com 

‍

Built for Humans, Backed by Icons: Springboards Secures Investor Support to Shape the Future of AI and Creativity

Springboards, the AI-powered platform built to inspire creativity and not give you the answers, today announced a significant milestone: the addition of a significant number of strategic investors to accelerate its mission of keeping creative humans in the creative equation. These new partnerships follow unprecedented adoption by over 200 top agencies and underscore the growing belief that AI, when centred around humans and collaboration, is a game-changer for the industry.

With backing from leaders across the advertising, tech, and venture capital worlds including Chris Colter, Managing Director, Media Strategy, Accenture Song A/NZ Australia, Chris Savage, Business Growth Specialist, The Savage Company, Christian Hughes Principal & President, Cutwater Agency, Chuck McBride, CCO & Founder, Cutwater Agency, Connon Bray, Co-founder Tracksuit & Ideally, Ellie Rogers, former Sales Director at Snap, Gabrielle Tenaglia, Head of Marketing, Lettuce, Glen Cassidy, Consultant, Henry Innis, Co-founder, Mutinex, James Hurman, Founding Partner, Previously Unavailable, Mat Baxter, former global CEO, Huge, Matt Hermann, Founding Partner, JAM Branding, Nigel Carr, former CSO The Tombras Group, Reuben Halper , Head of YouTube, Google New Zealand, Rosie and Faris Yakob, Co-founders Genius Steals, Sammy Preston, APAC Client Council and Industry Trade Relations Lead, Meta, Simon Pound, Managing Partner Previously Unavailable, Tom Morton, Founder of Narratory Capital, LLC, former global chief strategy officer at R/GA, Zoe Scaman, Founder, Bodacious, and lead investor Blackbird Ventures.

Springboards is poised to supercharge its growth and bring its vision to more creative teams globally. Co-founded by ex-agency strategists Pip Bingemann and Amy Tucker and CTO Kieran Browne, Springboards offers a suite of AI-powered tools that help creative humans start faster, explore more and collaborate together. 

“We’ve had a lot of ‘pinch me’ moments over the past 24 months, but having this incredible group, people we’ve looked up to our entire careers, back us on this journey is something very special,” said Pip Bingemann, CEO and Co-founder of Springboards.

“We never built Springboards with the intention of keeping it for ourselves but rather knew Springboards would be at its best only when centred around creative humans. It was a no-brainer to invite these industry legends into the fold and continue to explore more possibilities with some of the best thinkers in the world,” said Amy Tucker, CMO/CCO and Co-founder of Springboards.

Springboards plans to leverage the investment to expand its toolset, grow its global user base, and continue its commitment to building AI that empowers, not replaces, human creativity.

‍Zoe Scaman, Founder of Bodacious and Springboards investor said, "I’m proud to be an early supporter, investor and board member of Springboards, not just because it’s a revolutionary platform, but because it’s been built by two brilliant minds who deeply understand both the art and science of strategy. In an era where AI is often met with hype or fear, Springboards represents a rare third path - one grounded in thoughtfulness, integrity and a genuine love of the craft. It’s not about abandoning what we know, but expanding upon it with care. We can marry the old and the new, we just need to do it with clarity, courage and a belief in building something better."

Mat Baxter, former Global CEO at Huge and Springboards Investor says, “The platform does exactly what it says on the tin, giving talented planners amazing AI-powered springboards to develop their insights, generate their ideas and design their strategies. That’s something our industry must absolutely lean into, which is why I’m not just a user, but an investor too.”  

“We love creativity. We love great advertising, bold ideas, and the brilliant people behind them. We love being agile, informed, and constantly delighted. We believe in tools and thinking that make all of us better, faster, and well paid — not replaced. We believe in growth that lifts everyone. We love nice people. And yes, we really love Springboards,“ said Rosie & Faris Yakob, Partners at Genius Steals and Springboards investors.

Tom Morton, Founder, Narratory Capital, Former Global Chief Strategy Officer, R/GA and Springboards investor added, “A lot of marketing AI helps brand owners get generic outputs for less. Springboards helps agency practitioners get strong, brand-friendly insights, briefs and media plans faster. It's a product you would welcome on the team."

“I strongly believe that the future of creativity is human - and that the tools that stimulate human creativity are advancing in incredible ways. I invested in Springboards because they're thinking deeply about how technology can, should and will support and accelerate human creativity,” James Hurman, Founding Partner, Previously Unavailable and Springboards investor, concluded. 

See what the press had to say:

• Industry A-listers invest in AI-powered Springboards - AdNews‍
• Springboards attracts top-tier backing as AI platform eyes global growth | Marketing-Interactive
• Springboards lands investment from ad industry big wigs, as more than 200 agencies adopt AI creative tech | Mi3
• Springboards secures strategic investment to scale human-centred AI for creative teams - Mumbrella
• Springboards Secures Backing from Industry Powerhouse Names - Roastbrief US
• AI Platform Springboards Secures Backing from Industry Powerhouses - B&T
• AI-powered creativity platform Springboards secures backing from industry powerhouses – Campaign Brief

‍

‍

Springboards co-founders Pip and Amy had a chance to sit down with Peregian Digital Hub Director, Chris Boden, to talk about how they went from freshly laid-off tech workers with a toddler to founders of an AI startup, changing the game for advertising agencies. Peregian Digital Hub is a self-proclaimed “gathering place for AI nerds” in Noosa, Australia, where the co-founders reside, and was a huge influence on kickstarting Springboards.

The conversation ranged from playing and tinkering with AI tools during covid times to building an MVP and learning what VC was, to today with over 100 agencies onboarded and using Springboards to supercharge their creative process. Read on for highlights from the conversation between Chris, Pip, and Amy.

What Business Need Does Springboards Solve?

If you haven’t heard, the ad industry’s got a problem. Margins are shrinking, and a big part of it is what we lovingly call the "pitching problem." Agencies are hustling harder than ever, sinking time and money into speculative work—creating entire campaigns for free just to win a client. It’s exhausting, expensive, and honestly, kinda soul-crushing.

That was the impetus for Springboards, the platform that puts creativity back in the driver’s seat without losing the human spark. Built by ad-world veterans, Springboards is an idea accelerator designed to speed up the creative process without watering down the magic. Think of it as your new brainstorming buddy, helping with everything from strategy to killer concepts.

Here’s what makes us tick:

1. We Want to Fit Into Agency Workflows: Clients don’t just hire you for the work; they want ideas, innovation, and yep, even "someone to blame” if something goes wrong (no judgment!) Springboards isn’t supposed to replace your process—it powers it, giving you more firepower to deliver fresh, unexpected ideas.
2. Not Designed to Give You Answers but an Inspiration Overload: Springboards isn’t about spitting out the answer. It’s about throwing a hundred weird, wild, and wonderful ideas your way so you can pick the best and make them better. It’s like a workshop in your pocket, minus the bad coffee and awkward icebreakers.
3. Humans Always Come First: This isn’t some “robots-take-your-job” story. Pip and Amy built Springboards to keep people in the creative equation. The platform is there to amplify your genius, not replace it. We like to think of it as the Terminator story - we’re using humans partnered up with AI to fight the evil AI.
4. Say Goodbye to Meh Ideas: AI often has this nasty habit of playing it safe and turning out stuff that’s painfully average. We hate that. So we’re constantly tweaking Springboards to make sure it doesn’t fall into that trap. The goal? Help you hit the jackpot without settling for "fine."

Springboards isn’t just helping agencies work smarter—it’s flipping the script for teams and entire agencies:

• One user told us, “With Springboards, I feel like I can take on any agency out there.” That’s the energy we live for.
• Pitches are turning into wins: Agencies using Springboards have more wins under their belts. One client even joked, “The only problem is, I don’t have enough briefs to answer anymore.”

What’s Next?

We’re not stopping here. With plans to continue growing globally and a laser focus on fighting creative entropy (aka the soul-sucking sameness that kills good ideas), Springboards is on a mission to keep creativity alive and well.

Our promise? To keep pushing boundaries and helping the world’s creatives do what they do best: make weird, wild, wonderful things happen. Check out the full interview here for more insights.

Ready to rethink how you work? Join the Springboards revolution, and let’s keep creativity where it belongs—in human hands. Request a demo today at https://springboards.ai/#demo. 

‍