Unfiltered Under 30

How is Gen Z changing the advertising industry? In this episode of Unfiltered Under 30, host Claire Middleton sits down with Darren Allen, a media planner at NBCUniversal, to discuss generational differences in marketing, the evolution of media consumption, and what it takes to build a successful career in advertising.

Drawing on nearly six years of experience across experiential marketing, agency work, and media planning, Darren shares his perspective on how Gen Z consumes advertising, why streaming and social media are reshaping traditional TV, and how personalized algorithms are fragmenting shared cultural experiences. He also explores the opportunities and challenges AI presents for marketers, including why the future of marketing depends on balancing AI-powered innovation with human creativity.

The conversation also highlights Detroit's influence on the advertising industry, the value of community and networking, and common misconceptions about Gen Z in the workplace. Darren offers candid career advice for young marketing professionals, from staying true to yourself to embracing patience, building experience, and resisting the pressure to rush career milestones.

In this episode, discover:

• How Gen Z consumes media differently and what it means for advertisers.
• Why streaming, social media, and algorithms are changing traditional media and shared cultural experiences.
• How AI is shaping the future of marketing, advertising, and human creativity.
• What younger generations bring to the workplace and why stereotypes about Gen Z miss the mark.
• How Detroit's advertising community and automotive roots influence marketing careers.
• Practical career advice on authenticity, professional growth, timing, and avoiding burnout.

In this episode of Unfiltered Under 30, Claire Middleton sits down with Jake Cameron of Audion to discuss his career journey, the evolving advertising landscape, and what younger marketers bring to the industry. The conversation explores how emerging professionals are approaching marketing differently, the role of technology and AI, and what it takes to build a career in a rapidly changing industry.

Topics covered include: Gen Z in marketing, emerging marketing leaders, advertising and ad tech, AI in marketing, social media, career development, creativity, the future of advertising, and navigating the marketing industry as a young professional.

What does it mean to be a young marketer in an AI-first world?

In this episode of Unfiltered Under Thirty, host Claire Middleton sits down with Maddie Michowski, Senior Content Marketing Manager at Cognitiv, to talk about the intersection of AI, creativity, career growth, and the human side of marketing.

Maddie shares how Cognitiv uses AI to help marketers work faster while still putting human judgment, creativity, and connection first. They also dig into why some of the best marketing ideas come from simply getting people in a room together—and how authentic, personality-driven content can outperform polished, traditional brand messaging.

The conversation also explores the Gen Z perspective on work, including misconceptions about younger employees, the value of bringing a fresh perspective to the table, and why early-career professionals shouldn't be afraid to challenge conventional thinking.

What happens when creators stop being treated like talent and start being treated like creative partners?

On this episode of Unfiltered Under 30, Claire Middleton sits down with Irina Clapp, Senior Creative & Creator at TBWA\Chiat\Day, to talk about the evolving creator economy, the future of social, AI, and what it means to build a career in advertising today.

Irina shares her journey from social content creator to senior creative, including her work on campaigns for Gatorade and BEHR, and explains why brands need to rethink the way they brief creators. She introduces her “creator-to-creator” approach, which puts a creator’s unique superpower and point of view at the center of the creative process—not a rigid script.

In this episode of Unfiltered Under 30, Claire Middleton sits down with GrapevineAI's Jenny Scheck to discuss building a career through curiosity, ownership, and adaptability. From graduating during the pandemic to leading four teams at GrapevineAI, Jenny shares why soft skills matter more than ever, how brands should really think about creator marketing, and why the future belongs to teams built for agility—not just AI.

What happens when AI changes everything—but people still crave real human connection?

Recorded live from Cannes Lions, Claire Middleton sits down with Connor Wise, Head of Experiences at Brand Innovators, to explore why in-person experiences are becoming more valuable in an AI-powered world.

From building e-commerce brands as a teenager to becoming the Co-Founder & CMO of Glewee and a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, Christian Brown has been ahead of the curve for years.

On the first episode of Unfiltered Under 30, he joins host Claire Middleton to unpack the evolution of influencer marketing, the creator economy, entrepreneurship, and what's next for brands looking to stay relevant.