Gerety Awards Brings Creative Leaders Together in Berlin to Debate the Future of Authenticity in Advertising

Oct. 27, 2026

The Gerety Awards will bring Berlin's creative community together on November 5 for an evening celebrating the 2026 Gerety Awards winners, alongside a Gerety Talk exploring one of the biggest questions facing brands today: can authenticity still be authentic when it is written into the brief?

Hosted at Tracks & Fields, the panel discussion, "Authenticity Is the New Luxury: Can Brands Still Manufacture Realness?", will bring together leaders from across advertising, brand marketing, strategy, music and visual storytelling to examine what authenticity means in an increasingly manufactured and AI-driven creative landscape.

As audiences encounter ever more polished brand films, influencer partnerships, AI-generated imagery and supposedly unfiltered content, the boundaries between genuine human experiences and carefully constructed brand narratives are becoming increasingly blurred.

The discussion will explore the tension between brand control and spontaneity, the credibility of creators and influencers, documentary-style advertising and the growing value of real people and lived experiences in brand communications.

Can brands genuinely connect with audiences while controlling every aspect of their message? Does the pursuit of authenticity risk making brands feel less authentic? And as technology makes it easier than ever to manufacture convincing stories and images, will genuine human connection become the ultimate luxury?

The panel will feature:

• Silke Lakeit, Senior Marketing Director DACH, Tinder. With previous leadership experience at Netflix and across creative and digital agencies, Silke brings a perspective on the intersection of culture, technology and human connection, including how AI is reshaping the relationship between brands and audiences.
• Odile Breffa, Strategy Director, Innocean Berlin. With a background spanning sociology, ethnography, culture and creative strategy, Odile explores how brands can create meaningful experiences that connect with people across digital and physical worlds.
• Christian Mix-Linzer, Founder and CEO, Tracks & Fields. Leading the Berlin-born global music agency behind brand soundtracks for Mercedes-Benz, Zalando and Google, Christian brings insights into the relationship between music, culture and brand identity, and how brands can become part of culture rather than simply borrow from it.
• Alkisti Stolp, CEO, McCann Germany. With more than two decades of experience across independent agencies, global networks and client-side businesses, Alkisti brings a leadership perspective on balancing creative ambition, cultural relevance and commercial impact in an evolving industry.
• Katja Henschel, Photographer, Creator & Personal Branding Expert. Combining 20 years of visual storytelling experience with a background in psychology, Katja brings a creator's perspective on visual authenticity, personal branding and how images shape perception and trust.
• Shawn Thomson, Business Partner, Northern Europe at Ykone, working with global brands at the intersection of technology, creativity, and culture. His work explores how AI is reshaping creative industries, and why taste, judgment, and cultural understanding are increasingly valuable. 

The Gerety Talk forms part of the Gerety Awards' ongoing programme of international events, bringing creative communities together to celebrate outstanding work and explore the ideas and challenges shaping the future of advertising.

The evening will also celebrate the winners of the 2026 Gerety Awards, recognising creative excellence from around the world and providing an opportunity for agencies, brands, production companies and creative leaders to connect over drinks.

Event Details

• Event: Gerety Awards Berlin Winners Cocktail & Gerety Talk
• Panel: Authenticity Is the New Luxury: Can Brands Still Manufacture Realness?
• Date: Thursday, November 5, 2026
• Time: 19:00 – 21:00
• Venue: Tracks & Fields, Swinemünder Str. 121, Berlin
• RSVP: https://www.geretyawards.com/Berlin