The Big Bang of the Creative Universe

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It was a time of great upheaval in the creative galaxy.

Brands were in the midst of a cataclysmic identity crisis brought on by an onslaught of new media formats. They had forgotten how to talk, and even when and where to talk. The drive thru menu they were used to ordering on had been replaced with a menu of fractured and endless items, all flashing, and all promising to be the next great full meal deal.

Agencies in turn reflected the consternation that befell these brands, and started making sure they brought in master chefs who could prepare the ever emerging soup de jours on command. Execution became king.

Initial demands from clients revolved around formats and desired results. ‘Give me a lot of buzz on Facebook.’ ‘Make it go viral on YouTube.’ ‘Oh, and have a user generated component.’

All of these things requested were more akin to the sensation you have after consuming a great meal, and not the actual meal itself.

What could ground both brands and agencies to a common ground during these uncertainly evolving times?

Ideas.

Ideas defy menu classification.

A great idea should be expandable into whatever the hottest format is. Ideas are what find the common ground between creative aspiration and the bottom line marketing demands at the forefront of a brand’s concern.

These times could be solved by brands and agencies collaborating to a new degree, and believing in the pursuit of killer ideas. Not sitting around and scratching their heads about whether or not a particular joke will serve as engine enough to power 80 million YouTube viewings. But instead, thinking, ‘does the idea have legs?’ Can it be communicated clearly on any channel and format we need to be on?

Products and ideas can mingle. Agencies need to lose the mystique of only wanting to create obscure art films. And brands need to be assured that agencies have the business objectives squarely in mind.

Good problem solving in these times will take a true collaboration and willingness to find halfway points that rally behind great big extendable ideas. Not micro bursts of clever one off executions.

Ideas.

They’re our only hope.