Dentsu: Global Ad Spend Hits $1 Trillion in 2026, Fueled by AI and Creators

New forecasts show global ad spend will surpass $1 trillion in 2026, a 5.1% year-over-year increase driven by the convergence of AI, the creator economy, and shifting economic tides, according to a new outlook from Dentsu (Dentsu forecast). This milestone signals a fundamental reshaping of the marketing landscape.

Beyond the headline number, generative AI is becoming core infrastructure, influencing everything from Super Bowl ad production to agency team structures. As creator partnerships mature into long-term drivers of consumer trust, marketers must now also compete for visibility with AI agents that shop on their users' behalf.

Generative AI becomes infrastructure

Generative AI is shifting from a novelty to essential infrastructure, accelerating creative production and personalizing ad delivery at scale. It automates concepting, streamlines video editing, and enables real-time campaign adjustments, forcing a reorganization of agency workflows and skill sets around data-driven, machine-assisted execution.

Industry experts predict that by 2026, half of all Super Bowl ads will use generative AI in their creative or production processes (Marketing Dive projections). Brands are already leveraging AI to generate and test countless video variations in days, prompting agencies to form integrated 'pod' teams of strategists, data analysts, and creatives to execute on AI-driven insights instantly.

The rise of AI assistants is also creating 'Generative Engine Optimization' (GEO) as the successor to traditional SEO. To remain visible, content must be machine-readable, deeply sourced, and structured for conversational search. Brands that fail to optimize for AI risk becoming invisible, while first-party data becomes crucial for delivering personalized messages based on real-time purchase intent.

Creators evolve from amplifiers to partners

In the U.S. alone, creator marketing spend is set to reach $44 billion in 2026, up 18% from the previous year. This growth reflects a strategic shift toward long-term partnerships, where creators collaborate on product development and maintain a presence across multiple platforms. Authentic user-generated content (UGC) continues to outperform polished brand ads, boosting social engagement by 50% and conversion rates by 10%.

Deal structures are also evolving, with performance-based contracts that blend flat fees and revenue sharing becoming standard. While a majority of marketers (79%) are embracing AI to assist with creator content, audience data confirms a strong preference for authentic, human-centric storytelling in the final product.

Channels and budgets realign

By 2026, digital advertising will command nearly 69% of all global ad spend. The fastest-growing digital segments are retail media (+14.1%), online video (+11.5%), and social media (+11.4%). While linear TV's share declines, this is offset by strong growth in connected TV (CTV) at +13.8%, bolstered by major events like the Winter Olympics and FIFA World Cup.

At the same time, commerce media and shoppable content are blurring the lines between discovery and purchase by enabling transactions within content streams. As AI recommendation engines become more sophisticated, structured product data is now a top priority for marketers, as it must effectively inform both human consumers and their autonomous AI shopping agents.

External pressures on the horizon

Despite ongoing trade frictions and economic uncertainty, ad spend forecasts remain positive across all regions, including the Americas (+5.2%), Asia-Pacific (+5.4%), and EMEA (+4.2%). Key sectors like technology, government, and beverages are fueling this growth with double-digit investment increases. However, agencies advise caution, as algorithm-driven performance can obscure underlying market volatility, making scenario planning essential.

Key Takeaways for Marketers:

• Optimize for Machines: Audit all brand content for machine-readability to secure a favored position in algorithmic search and recommendations.
• Restructure for Speed: Build agile, pod-based teams that collapse the distance between data-driven insight and creative execution.
• Redefine Creator Value: Shift from one-off campaigns to multi-year creator partnerships built around shared business metrics and long-term value.
• Balance Automation and Authenticity: Use AI for efficiency and scale, but maintain human oversight to avoid producing generic "AI slop" that erodes consumer trust.

Ultimately, marketers who successfully integrate their data, creator strategies, and predictive AI systems will be best positioned to thrive as advertising budgets continue shifting toward the digital channels preferred by both human consumers and their emerging AI agents.