Scaling the spec
Automation is another core focus, particularly around high-volume production work. Treff said agents can handle repetitive tasks, including adapting assets for different formats, markets, and personas, freeing teams to focus on strategy and creative oversight.
“I don’t need to sit there and make 300 assets anymore,” he said, but stressed speed alone isn’t the goal. “Getting to a million assets is great, but getting to the right asset is the hardest part.”
Beyond individual campaigns, Code and Theory is also testing the tech with more complex clients, including a utility company serving multiple customer segments, regions, and languages.
In that case, Treff said, The Machine is being used primarily for scaled content and brief creation, delivering brand-consistent, tailored messaging for residential, small business, and enterprise audiences.
The Machine is designed to work in tandem with Code and Theory’s AI-native creative production tool, Engine.
Treff described the relationship between the two as complementary, with The Machine determining what needs to be created and why, while Engine handles execution at scale. “Engine and The Machine are like peanut butter and jelly,” he said.
Engine is already being used in live, limited deployments with select Stagwell clients and agencies ahead of a broader rollout.
CES will serve as a launch preview, with a broader push to bring The Machine to market expected in the first quarter.
For Code and Theory, success will come down to whether the platform delivers real value. “We need to prove market viability,” Treff said. The next test, he added, is whether it ultimately becomes an ROI-positive business.
