A presentation given to students at Miami Ad School as well as Minneapolis College of Art and Design.

1. THINKING STRATEGICALLY
Presented to Miami Ad School, October 6th, 2009
Minneapolis College of Art and Design, October 8th, 2009
By Dion Hughes

2. OR...
“AND YOU THOUGHT BEING AN
ADVERTISING CREATIVE WAS ONLY ABOUT
HAVING IDEAS, HAHAHAHAHAHA.”

3. Back in my student days.
The simple visual solutions I dreamed of doing.
(D&AD 1985)

4. So I did a lot of ads like this.
Funny, huh?

5. But it was work like this that got me my first job.

6. Also from D&AD 1985.
The loved/hated leader of the Greater London Council,
(kinda like a mayor) argues against the abolition of the GLC.

7. Two award-winning ads, but very different.
Insight-free. “Bovril beef
cubes taste a lot like beef.”
Insight-full. “It’s not me
they’re abolishing, it’s
your rights as a voter.”

8. Two ‘final student book’ ads, but very different.
Insight-free. “Boner joke.” Insight-full. “You are
earnestly looking to
solve a sensitive issue.”

9. THINKING STRATEGICALLY. INSIGHT.
WHATEVER.
ALL ELSE BEING EQUAL, A BOOK
FILLED WITH IT WINS THE JOB.
image: streetfly_jz

10. INSIGHT IS A HEAD START.
YOU’LL BE DIFFERENT
FROM THE BEGINNING.
image: jepnow

11. THERE ARE MANY FORMS OF INSIGHT.
http://www.simon-law.com/

12. youtube/flickr/twitter etc
what your mum thinks the opposite direction
different product categories
your gut
AND THEY ARE EVERYWHERE.
your own life/experience
what competitors are doing
pop culture
business reviews
the brief, even
corporate annual reports
image: tyrian123

13. ALL YOU NEED TO GET STARTED
IS CURIOSITY.
(CREATIVES ARE NATURALS AT THAT, RIGHT?)
image: fatmanad

14. CREATIVITY
IS
LATERAL THINKING
IS
CONNECTING DOTS
image: smsch67

15. THE HARDER YOU LOOK,
THE MORE DOTS YOU’LL FIND.
THE MORE DOTS YOU FIND,
THE MORE CREATIVE YOU CAN BE.

16. BTW, IT’S YOUR JOB (AND GIFT) TO BE
DOT-CONNECTING CHAMPION.
image: chitrasudar

17. AN EXAMPLE:
STRAWBERRYFROG WAS
PITCHING HYUNDAI.
HYUNDAI WANTED TO INJECT
PASSION INTO THEIR BRAND.

18. ON THE FACE OF IT,
image: daveseven A TALL ORDER.

19. BUT IN A BRIEFING ROOM FILLED
WALL TO WALL WITH FACTS,
OPINIONS AND FOCUS GROUP MUSINGS,
WE FOUND A 2 SQ INCH DOT.
“Hyundai
drivers index
highest for the
amount of
research they
do on their car
purchase.”

20. “Hyundai drivers
index highest for
the amount of
research they do on
their car purchase.”

21. That gave us a name for the audience,
a passionate position,
The creative platform described the audience and set up the idea.
and what became the mission for the brand.

22. This is (some of) the work from the pitch.

26. SOME MORE EXAMPLES.
CAN YOU SPOT THE INSIGHT
IN THE FOLLOWING ADS?

27. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I07xDdFMdgw

28. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhwH04Hl_G4

29. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwRCBHhyrAA

30. A COUPLE MORE THINGS ABOUT INSIGHT.

31. AN INSIGHT COMES FROM
WHAT ALREADY EXISTS.
image: hinderik
AN IDEA CREATES SOMETHING
ENTIRELY NEW.

32. AND INSIGHT ISN’T EVERYTHING.
I’D STILL LOVE TO DO IDEAS LIKE THIS.

33. THANK YOU
Further reading:
http://www.simon-law.com/insights
http://scampblog.blogspot.com
http://www.cstadvertising.com/blog/
Find me at:
http://persuasionism.com
http://twitter.com/dionhughes