Live The Dream

I was originally going to write about creative triggers that will help you generate "creativity on demand", even when you're suffering through the soul-sucking 'blahs'... but I was in one of these 'moods', and I just didn't feel like it, so maybe next week. 


The first lesson you learn in advertising school is "don't say it when you can show it". This series of ads is a perfect example of that philosophy. The fun items virtually explode out of the dreary ones. Of course you'd rather be surfing than ironing, wearing flip-flops than patent leather and sitting in a lounger by the pool rather than an office chair.  These ads are simple, bold and memorable. The creators of these ads, from DDB Vancouver, understood how to maximize a visual medium. Congrats team - it wasn't luck that won this lottery.  

Common Sense – Another stumbling block to Creativity

Sometimes common sense just gets in the way of a good decision.

After all, common sense will point you towards the safe route which is in the opposite direction of a creative adventure… or even the odd misadventure.

And, while common sense should play a major role in your life, occasionally you should leap before you look.

And when it comes to taking a chance, don’t leave it too long. You might decide that you’re too old to do it.

But do it anyway.

 

Where do ideas come from?

Good athletes make the most remarkable plays look easy. It isn’t easy, but their minds and bodies are trained to work in harmony so it becomes ‘natural’.

A stand-out creative idea looks remarkable for the same reason. The creative idea works in harmony with the product to look ‘natural’. 

One of my favorite classic campaigns was the “Big Mac Attack” for McDonalds. I have no idea how it originated but I like to believe that a six year old kid randomly said, “Hey dad, I’m having a Big Mac Attack”.

It was memorable, quickly became a pop culture trend and the idea worked in harmony with the product… effortlessly. It was a natural.

While planning a campaign for the Zurich Chamber Orchestra, someone at Euro RSCG likely said, “Listening to this music is like riding a roller coaster”… and they were right.

Creativity's biggest stumbling block - the Client.

Rowan Atkinson (Mr. Bean) once said he wouldn't make movies in America because he didn't do 'comedy by committee'.

image from fanpop.com

Creativity in the world of advertising is a lot like that, even if the committee is just two people; you and the client.

The rule of a good copywriter is to give the client what he needs, not what he wants*.  When those two things are in conflict, and the client insists on having it his way because he is paying for it, copywriters often default to the second position.  That would be - give the client what he wants, and do your best to craft it in such a way that it is palatable and compelling for the target audience.

This is why copywriters die young.

If you possess a warped and devious mind, there is a third option.

Give the client what he wants.

Give it to him just the way he asked for it. Don't go overboard to add more warts to the concept - it is probably odorous enough as it is.

Then do the concept the way you know it should be.  Often, a client won't have the ability to envision a concept the way a writer can but if he can see it, hear it, or experience it then he will understand the benefits and strategy of the professional idea.

I must confess that in my industry, radio, it was not a huge commitment of time or resources to do two concepts. If you're in television or web design, producing two finished products may not be feasible. But if you're looking for a long term relationship with a client, the short term pain and investment could earn you the trust and freedom you need to create brilliance for an appreciative client.


*Largely Unnecessary Gender Disclaimer That I Am Enclosing Mostly For My Own Amusement:
I started writing "he/she" whenever I referred to the client but it was making things clumsy to read and my rambling copy is confusing enough without that, so I defaulted to 'he' and I will use 'she' next time. Can we all not be offended now?  Thank you.

Time to grow up...

At some point in everyone's lives, they realize they might as well just say what's on their mind because... oh, I don't know... they've finally figured out that political correctness is highly over-rated, or they've realized that they're getting older and running out of time.
(On the other hand, we all know people who come out of the womb shooting their mouths off and seem to have been born without any governor at all... but that's grist for another blog.)
In my humble observations, people generally wait too long to express themselves. Here's a test for you.  Do you have more regret about things you said, or things you wish you would have said? Sure... I'll bet you have a few big blunders that you'd like to undo somewhere in your past, but I'm also betting you have one of those comments that you didn't say and it probably happened as recently as yesterday.
Unless you're old. Then you probably just said it.
A few years ago, we had an elderly gentleman named Les who worked around the building doing odd jobs and maintenance. One year, at the Christmas party, as one of the staff was called up to the front of the room, Les remarked to the people at his table, "Well, she's put on some weight!"
"Les," chided a female co-worker. "I hope you don't talk about me like that."
"No, no..." he replied, brushing off the idea. "You've always been a big girl."
Just to be clear, I'm not saying that you should go out of your way to make people miserable; I just think that there's room in the world for a little more honesty. As for those people who couldn't quite see their way to being honest, well, I suspect they'd be much more cautious about what they said and the questions they asked, if they knew the rest of the world was likely going to give them an honest response.
Don't wait until you're too old to enjoy it. Take a chance on the truth. It's incredibly liberating.