Technologists and developers should be drawn into the creative process on day 2 of a project, according to Wieden + Kennedy New York’s technology director Husani Oakley.

Speaking at the ADMA Global Forum in Sydney this morning he urged creative agencies to review their cultural approach, and bring “the nerds up from the basement” to “use them as a source for creative ideas”.

He also argued there should be a greater role for technologists and developers in the storytelling conversations, as they can inform creatives of little features on platforms they can use to make richer content.

But, he said developers should also be given lessons in the basics of storytelling in a bid to inspire them and empower them in the process, and encouraged tech and creative teams to get together on hackathons for clients, in a bid to find better solutions to problems.

Looking at storytelling as a concept he said too many brands are focusiign on traditional media, and need to find a way to “speak to your customers in the language of the now”.

He also berated advertisers who do not distinguish digital and traditional media saying “the internet is not TV in a different box”, adding: “It’s a fundamentally different medium and we need to tell stories in a  way which reflects that medium”.