I was immersed in strategy during my years at Cevette and Company. We always worked from creative blueprints developed from market research, client interviews, and focused strategic planning sessions. We knew who we were talking to, who were were speaking for, and the one big idea we needed to communicate.
A perfect creative brief
I had the pleasure of hearing Chris Wauton and Martin MacDonald of West Wayne in Atlanta speak about what makes a great creative brief during an intensive workshop for Creative Directors. In their talk, "Great Creative Briefs: Inspiration justified by reason, or garbage in - garbage out and how to avoid it.", they espoused their agencies internal philosophy of the creative brief as an eye opener for the creative team. It should point the creatives to where they need to go, but not lead them there by hand. It should be short and to the point, and answer succinctly a few important questions:
What's the scoop? Tell me the crucial background in a few sentences.
What's the key problem? Make sure you know the problem you need to solve.
What is the strategy? The strategic solution should be as ingenious as the implementation.
What is the ONE, BIG IDEA? Don't tell several stories at once...what is the core message?
I love doing the best work I possibly can, and when a client hands me a well-thought out creative brief, they hand me the means to make my work even better.
I would love an opportunity to help you in creative smart solutions to your creative challenges. Contact me at 612-321-0629 or e-mail me at mbpcomdn@scc.net
The Four I's is a creative test that I learned from a former Creative Director who understood the importance of strategy and planning in the development of excellent creative. The four 1's stand for Image, Immediacy, Ingenuity, Impact, and judging my work against these criteria helps me make sure my product
is on strategy and effective.
Immediacy: Is the message immediate and clear. At a glance, does your audience understand what you want to tell them.
Ingenuity: Does the work make your client think, or feel, or laugh? Does it present a universal idea in a fresh way? Does it engage and intrique your audience?
Impact: Your audience is subjected to a flood of media messages. Does the work stand out from the crowd, does it attract and hold the attention of your desired audience.