The debate, which was chaired by Stephen Woodford, chief executive at the Advertising Association, asked speakers whether they agreed with the motion ‘The anti-woke agenda is fuelling creativity’.

Speaking in favour, Asad Dhunna, founder and chief executive at The Unmistakables, said that the advertising industry needed to take the battle to the anti-woke movement and be creative with how it addresses opposition to diversity.

“We are going into 2025 with a bit of a choice,” he said. “Do we rest on our laurels and let the anti-woke brigade do what they want to do? Take them on.”

Dhunna said he worried that the woke movement “has lost its teeth”, and argued the presence of the anti-woke movement could spur it to greater creativity.

“If we look at established norms, creativity is the only way to break through to new norms,” he said. “Can we become more connected? Can we become more aware?

Dhunna added: “We have a choice. We can ignore the anti-woke movement or we can get out there and find creative solutions.

“It is a movement that wants us to go back to the past. We need new creative solutions to make sure we are moving forwards.”

Everyone can be creative, Dhunna summarised: “To be influential, you need to understand the conversations that are happening.”

Also speaking in favour of the motion, Lucy Barbor, founder at We Are Masterplan, said that many people do not have their mind made up on the woke movement, and therefore there needs to be more consideration of how to convince people that anti-woke is not the way forward.

“It is not allowing us to say we are in the right. We need to think more creatively about how to engage people,” Barbor added.

Speaking against the motion, Shelina Janmohamed, director of consumer equality at Ogilvy UK, said the idea of anti-woke is an antithesis that “is lacking any creativity” and “it has no creative energy, so how can it fuel creativity?”.

She added: “The way the anti-woke agenda operates is by devaluing creativity. It diverts energy away from creativity by making us tired.”

As the anti-woke movement lacks creativity, Janmohamed said, it cannot be a creative fuel and “it is a lazy regurgitation of past movements”.

She explained: “How can a movement that rejects the creativity of human beings be said to be a fuel for creativity?”

Anti-woke was therefore a barrier to creativity, with more creativity the result of embracing diversity. “When that friction and resistance to change is removed, then creativity can thrive,” Janmohamed said.

Also speaking against the motion, Dede Laurentino, chief commercial officer at Ogilvy UK, added: “What fuels creativity is the thrill of discovery. Diversity fuels creativity. The more the better.”

The motion was passed, with 35 votes in favour to 33 against.