Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Advertising, Agency Culture, Attitude & Aptitude, Audio Visual, Authenticity, Communication Strategy, Confidence, Content, Context, Creative Brief, Creative Development, Creativity, Culture, Emotion, Empathy, Entertainment, Imagination, Innocence, Innovation, Management, Marketing, Perspective, Planners, Planning, Relevance, Resonance
I saw this quote by David Thoreau recently …
“It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.”
I have to say I love it because in some ways, it’s the best definition of creativity – and, to a certain extent, strategy – I’ve seen in ages.
Of course our job is to help clients achieve their goals.
Help them succeed in ways that are better than they imagined.
But too much of what we are doing is solving problems laterally rather than literally.
Or worse, simply executing what the client wants.
For me, the best creativity makes people think, feel, question … and to do that, you need people who see the World differently so that they can see what everyone else is just looking at.
Revealing possibility rather than reproducing what everyone already knows.
And doesn’t care about.
16 Comments
Yes. It certainly isn’t about producing exactly what a client wants to say about themselves in the most boring, unimaginative and uninspiring way possible. And yet it so much seems to do just that.
Comment by George January 20, 2020 @ 6:25 amApparently creativity in advertising today is all about following the client demand/delusion to the absolute letter.
Or like you said, going to the doctor and prescribing your own medicine.
Comment by Rob January 20, 2020 @ 6:56 am+1
Comment by Pete January 20, 2020 @ 7:07 amLove this Rob. It might not be the best definition of creativity or strategy, but it is a good one. Works for “insights” as well.
Comment by Pete January 20, 2020 @ 7:07 amYep. Especially as many people – including planners, which blows my mind – thinks insights are what people do not why. Of course there’s value in knowing behaviour, but understanding the reasons it happens is where the real opportunity for magic happens.
Comment by Rob January 20, 2020 @ 7:38 ammost fucking planners couldnt plan their way out of a shitty paper bag. rewriting client briefs isnt fucking planning it means theyre corporate fucking toady wankers.
Comment by andy@cynic January 20, 2020 @ 2:42 pmI always like it when an alternative approach is challenged when their entire knowledge is based on a couple of focus groups, a trends report, some purchase data and their kids opinion.
Comment by Bazza January 20, 2020 @ 7:15 amThe icing on the cake is when their approach is the same one they’ve been blindly following for years with declining results. But don’t you dare challenge their deep insight on their audience and category.
Comment by Pete January 20, 2020 @ 7:22 amOr when their reason for not doing something different is “we tried that and it didn’t work”. Ignoring it was 10+ years ago and executed casually.
Comment by George January 20, 2020 @ 7:31 amTold what to do.
Reduce your fee.
Blame you when it goes bad.
Though to be fair, anyone who accepts those conditions deserves all they get. Haha.
Comment by Rob January 20, 2020 @ 7:35 amNow this thread is getting somewhere.
Comment by Bazza January 20, 2020 @ 8:28 amAnd then, it grinds to a halt due to timezones.
Comment by John January 20, 2020 @ 12:23 pmit grinds when it isnt about fucking america.
Comment by andy@cynic January 20, 2020 @ 2:41 pmthe problem with fucking clients is they only hang out with other fucking clients so they know less about real life than fucking trump. but they all think theyre fucking cool cats in their chinos and fucking polo necks. they all need stabbing in the fucking neck.
Comment by andy@cynic January 20, 2020 @ 2:40 pmThe bubble.
Though to be fair, so do most agency people too.
Comment by Rob January 20, 2020 @ 3:58 pmPerfect comment for MLK day.
Comment by DH January 20, 2020 @ 5:32 pmAndy, not Rob.