Take the creative brief. The most misunderstood, abused, even dismissed piece of the marketing/advertising process. And P.S., the most important.
This sad state of the brief has dogged our industry almost since its inception – and as a result we’ve had a long history of ad agencies attempting to create a fast-acting cure.
First there was the USP (Unique Selling Proposition).
And then, courtesy of P&G, the Benefit/End Benefit edict:
Example, for Joy Dishwashing Detergent:
Benefit. “It cleans right down to the shine.” End Benefit. “And that’s a good reflection on you.”
I remember a time when almost every multinational agency had a formula: take X, add Y, and presto: greatness!
And so it goes.
The result? Mass confusion leading inevitably to shutdown. So the brief becomes just another document with boxes hurriedly filled-out.
Worst of all is what we’ve left behind… the most fundamental element in any communication.
Here’s what it isn’t:
It isn’t more science, metrics or terminology. We’ve already got more than enough to go around.
And it isn’t a new formula or a fancy new template.
So here it is, the secret to a brief that dazzles with insight and oozes with inspiration.
One word: Intuition.
That moment of trusting our own unstudied, unreflected, bare-boned instincts about communicating, one human being to another.
Ask yourself what brought you into this business? Every one of us, regardless of role, was at least partially drawn here by an innate sense of our own ability and desire to communicate, consciously or not. Today that sensibility seems to have got lost in the shuffle. Intuition has become the victim of information overload.
But all is not lost. Here are two recent ads that were written, not from research, but from good oldfangled instincts about what makes people tick.
Exhibit A. A short video for the Museum of Modern Art in New York. (Paul Lavoie, Taxi)
Even the single-frame screen-shot tells a story: this is a guy who doesn’t want to be there; he’s probably wishing he were home watching the game. See the video and you’ll find your single-frame observation was dead-on – because the story told in that single frame was instinctively easy to relate to.
Exhibit B. An ad for Omaha Steaks. (Student work, Miami Ad School)
I’ve used this ad for 4 years in workshops and in my CAAP course – and every time out it inspires both thunderous laughter and tightlipped disapproval.
The people who love this ad either know these guys – or are one of them.
The people who hate it are…well, they’re not the target consumer. And that’s pretty much the point.
If the creators of these ads had relied on consumer research I doubt they’d have got to the insights that drive them.
Really, who’s going to admit that while they’d like people to think they actually enjoy the museum experience – they really don’t get it, and even find it boring.
And those determined meat-eaters – would they really need to be so forceful, even defensive, in their stance if they didn’t feel a little bit judged these days?
Exhibit C. VW ad (Doyle Dane Bernbach)
Exhibit D. Avis ad (Doyle Dane Bernbach)
Exhibit E Chivas Regal ad (Doyle Dane Bernbach)
So here’s a little-known fact. Back when Bill Bernbach pioneered the Creative Revolution and produced ads like the Volkswagen and Avis campaigns – there weren’t any briefs. There was just a bunch of people sitting around figuring out how best to communicate in a way that’s honest, and true.
I’m not suggesting that we eliminate the finely-tuned technology and tools that strategic planners have created and pioneered from that day to this.
I’m just thinking.’ What happens when we take all that science and technology and planning expertise – and then sit around figuring out how best to communicate in a way that’s honest and true? And then, write ourselves a brief.
A final thought – while we seem to have lost our instincts (let’s say misplaced them) they’re not far away. The way to get them back is just to remember we’ve got them. And that in the end, all we’re doing here is communicating, one human being to another.