Kiwi creative Nick McFarlane selected for SXSW London 2026 Public Vote with his session ‘A Primitive Guide to the Future of Civilisation’
Auckland author, designer and long-time ad industry creative Nick McFarlane, whose career spans stints at FCB, Raydar, Clemenger UnLtd and Colenso BBDO, has made the cut for the SXSW London 2026 public voting round with his presentation, ‘A Primitive Guide to the Future of Civilisation’, part of the festival’s Society Rewired track.
McFarlane’s session asks a provocative question: ‘If we’re going to rewire society – and not get a shock in the process, shouldn’t we first understand what’s already hard-wired within ourselves?’
Watch his pitch below:
The talk builds on the central themes of power and corruption from his controversial new book Monumental, using them as a framework for exploring how primal instincts still shape politics, economics, culture, and identity. Many in the NZ creative industry may already be familiar with these ideas through the book’s attention-grabbing marketing campaign, which fused AI-enhanced video with IRL footage to create a deliberately disorienting, mind-bending content series.
As McFarlane puts it: “The campaign is a sign of what’s coming. Small players are about to take a much bigger bite of the pie – even with next to no budget, let alone an invitation to the big kids’ table. Special effects that once belonged to Hollywood can now be cooked up on a laptop… or at your local lunatic asylum.”
View the AI-IRL content series below:
McFarlane’s pitch represents rare Kiwi representation in one of the world’s most competitive creative-tech festivals, and reflects the growing trend of creatives expanding their craft across storytelling, technology and cultural commentary. With conversations around AI, fast-content creation and the future of marketing now accelerating across the industry, the session brings a distinctly kiwi perspective to a global stage.
Public voting determines whether McFarlane takes the SXSW stage. To vote for McFarlane, head to https://sxswlondon.awardsplatform.com/ and search ‘primitive’.
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