Colin Davis joins The Sweetshop’s AI creative studio, The Gardening Club as Global Head of Innovation

The Sweetshop’s AI creative studio, The Gardening Club, dedicated to bridging the gap between AI and film production just got a little more interesting. The team have welcomed Colin Davis as its new Global Head of Innovation and are feeling pretty damn lucky about it.

If you don’t know Colin yet, you probably know the work, his groundbreaking AI-led work on Pedigree’s “Adoptable” campaign is currently sweeping award shows and hearts in equal measure, and includes Emmy-winning, Grand Prix-grabbing, culture-shifting stuff for names like Google, Meta, Samsung, Disney, and the NBA. He’s no stranger to using tech to tell stories that matter.

Davis joins The Gardening Club’s founding crew, futurist Tom Roope, acclaimed AI artist Jacqui Kenny, and The Sweetshop’s own Global co CEO Melanie Bridge, to help shape what creativity looks like when you give it the right tools and the right intent.

Before landing this new role, Davis was leading innovation across Nexus Studios’ London and LA offices, cooking up new ways of thinking and working. “The tools are moving fast,” he says, “but we’ve still got to slow down enough to ask the big questions: Are we making something meaningful? Are we helping creatives thrive? Are we actually pushing culture forward?”

“Colin brings exactly what the moment needs,” says Ben Dailey, Managing Director / Executive Producer of The Sweetshop New Zealand, “The AI space is evolving at pace, and Colin brings the clarity and experience for agencies and brands figuring out where to go next. He’s the one who helps turn aspiration into concise action.”

Davis will be working alongside the management team at The Sweetshop, helping to guide their creative partners, agencies and creatives, working with them directly to ensure AI enables bolder, more meaningful storytelling while safeguarding creative decisions.

“I’ve been working with AI for over five years now,” says Davis. “The hype’s never been the drawcard for me. It’s about using the tools to connect. Not just wider, but deeper. That’s what The Gardening Club is all about, making sure technology amplifies meaning, not just noise.”

Melanie Bridge, co-founder of both The Sweetshop and The Gardening Club, puts it simply: “We’re not chasing AI trends. We’re cultivating ideas that connect. And Colin’s voice is going to be essential to how we grow.”

Adds Davis: “This moment is disruptive, sure. But that’s not a bad thing. Disruption creates the space to rebuild—better, braver, more human. We just have to make sure we’re using the tools, not letting them use us.”

If you’ve got questions about AI and want to connect, contact Colin at colin@thegardening.club

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