The document discusses the creative process of developing an advertising campaign. It begins with crafting an inspiring creative brief that identifies the business problem and target audience insights. This informs the development of the campaign idea or concept, as shown in famous examples from Old Spice and Got Milk?. Creative teams that may include copywriters and art directors then generate ideas and write up initial versions to bring the brief to life. The goal is to start with a great brief and use a collaborative process to develop an idea and execution that will solve the identified marketing challenge.

1. Writing the Idea
The What, The How + Who
AD 216: Lecture 1
Gina Collura, Creative Director

2. Writing
the Idea
The What?
- It starts with the Creative Brief
- Creative Brief examples
The How?
Bringing a Creative Brief to life,
Old Spice + Got Milk?
Who?
The Team

3. The What:
It starts with
a *!?king
awesome,
inspiring
creative brief
A creative brief bridges the gap between
smart strategic thinking +
great communication
A great brief will help answer:
What’s the business problem
we’re trying to solve?

4. A great creative brief liberates.
It does not limit.
A brief should always be interesting,
informative + inspiring.
The What:
It starts with
a *!?king
awesome,
inspiring
creative brief

5. Every agency has their
own method of crafting a brief
The What:
It starts with
a *!?king
awesome,
inspiring
creative brief

6. It starts with
a *!?king
awesome,
inspiring brief
TBWA/Chiat Day
Disruption Brief

7. It starts with
a *!?king
awesome,
inspiring brief
BBH
Creative Brief

8. BBDO
Creative Brief

9. M&C Saatchi
Creative Brief

10. The What:
Briefs
ask + answer
these
questions
Why are we advertising?
What is the advertising trying to do?
Who are we talking to?
What do we know about them that will
help us?
What are the realities?
Cultural, Human, Company, Product

11. It starts with
a *!?king
awesome,
inspiring
creative brief
But they all include an important element:
A consumer insight, a human truth,
“a pearl”

12. The What:
Example_
Consumer
insight
Wives and girlfriends are more likely to
buy men’s body wash than men.
- Old Spice Creative Brief,
Wieden + Kennedy

13. The How:
The Idea
“The Man Your Man Can Smell Like, 2010”
- Wieden + Kennedy

14. The How:
The Idea
Hello, ladies, look at your man, now back to me, now back
at your man, now back to me. Sadly, he isn’t me, but if he
stopped using scented body wash and switched to Old
Spice, he could smell like he’s me.
Look down, back up, where are you?
You’re on a boat with the man your man could smell like.
What’s in your hand, back at me. I have it, it’s an oyster
with two tickets to that thing you love. Look again, the
tickets are now diamonds. Anything is possible when your
man smells like Old Spice and not a lady. I’m on a horse.
“The Man Your Man Can Smell Like, 2010”
- Wieden + Kennedy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owGykVbfgUE

15. The How:
The Idea
In a single uncut shot, Mustafa transitions from a
bathroom to a sailboat to riding a horse on the beach,
all without pausing his monologue or breaking eye-contact
with the camera for more than a moment.
The punch line of the commercial is Mustafa's
non- sequitur final statement: "I'm on a horse", delivered
as the camera zooms out to reveal to the viewer that
Mustafa is now sitting atop a horse.
“The Man Your Man Can Smell Like, 2010”
- Wieden + Kennedy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owGykVbfgUE

16. The Agency

17. The Agency

19. A real world
example of a
*!?king
awesome,
inspiring brief

22. The Idea
Goodby Silverstein + Partners, 1993
Directed by Michael Bay
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JrB7Ygu6zk

23. The Idea

24. Let’s
reverse-engineer
What’s the business problem
we’re trying to solve?
In the early 1990’s, the California Milk Advisory
Board was concerned about long-term declining
milk sales
- Previous campaign, “Milk does a body good”
- It didn’t change consumers’ behavior
- They had to radically change directions
- They had to Zag

25. Let’s
reverse-engineer
What’s the business problem
we’re trying to solve?
Instead of selling milk as a complement
to foods, the strategy became:
To remind milk drinkers of the anxiety +
disappointment that came when milk
wasn’t available at crucial moments

26. Let’s
reverse-engineer

27. Milk
became
famous
Did it work?
From 1994-’ 95, fluid milk sales in 12 regions
totaled 23.3 billion pounds, and increased ad
expenditures to $37.9 million.
In 2002, “Aaron Burr” TV spot was named one
of the ten best commercials of all time by
USA Today and ran nationwide.
This campaign ran for 20-ish years (‘93-2014).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Got_Milk%3F

28. Milk
became
famous
People at Goodby, Silverstein thought it was
lazy, not to mention, grammatically incorrect.
“It’s clunky. It’s not even English,” recalls
Mr. Silverstein, expressing his initial distaste for
the idea.
He later gleefully adds, “It worked!”
Rich Silverstein, Co-Chairman, Creative Director
Film, “Art + Copy,” 2009

30. Who

31. Who
Creative teams get briefed by the
Account Planner/Strategist
- Typically, a combination of
Copywriters + Art Directors*
- Some agencies include U/X
and/or Creative Technologist
*Depends on agency, ECD/CD, project

32. Who
Art Directors + Copywriters write-up ideas
- Think of it as an elevator pitch
- Write 50 taglines to get to essence of an idea
Some teams:
- Write a manifesto
- Write “handles” + create mood boards
- Come up with branding devices + write a short
line to go with it
- Create “Ad-lobs” (ad-like-objects): a key visual
with a headline

33. Who
When it’s time to generate ideas
- Art Directors write
- Copywriters write
Everybody thinks + writes

34. Let’s Review
The What:
It starts with
a *!?king
awesome,
inspiring
creative brief
The How:
The Idea
Who:

35. Project #1
Create an ad from a photo
Pick a photo and…
- What product is it for?
- What’s the idea?
- What’s the headline? Tagline?
- Write.

36. Project #1
Create an ad from a photo
Due next week/Wall Critique:
Review 3 thumbnails + 1 page rough
of your ads