The document describes the process of developing big ideas for advertising campaigns. It discusses 5 steps in the idea generation process: immersion, digestion, incubation, illumination, and reality testing. It then provides numerous techniques for taking an initial big idea and expanding it into hundreds of ideas, such as considering the target audience, current events, analogies, spokespeople, and more. Guidelines are also given for effective brainstorming and using constructive criticism to improve ideas. An example campaign for California milk featuring voting on happy cows is discussed.

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Chapter 6: IDEA
The Currency of The 21st Century

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How Do You Come Up with the Big Idea?
James Webb Young, a former
creative vice president at
James Walter Thompson
describe a 5 step process his
book.

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How Do You Come Up with the Big Idea? … con’t
§ Immersion
‣ Engross yourself in background
research, visit client, watch consumers
interact with your brand.
§ Digestion
‣ Play with information à look at
different angle.
‣ Make a list of feature à doodle or
write down phrases.

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How Do You Come Up with the Big Idea? … con’t
§ Incubation
‣ Do the activities that can relax your mind
§ Illumination
‣ Let the brain relax after being loaded with info à
spur out the idea.
» E.g. Case of Roche Commercial
We’re all born into this world small, within 3 – 4 pounds
of each other. Then life happens. And we can end up
weighing more than is healthy for us.

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How Do You Come Up with the Big Idea? … con’t
§ Reality testing
‣ Ask yourself à is that the potential idea? Solve the
problem? Is it on strategy?
‣ Don’t make too early evaluation, otherwise it might
turn to so-so idea.

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There’s a Big Idea in the Creative Brief
§ Creative brief = road map for your idea-generation.
‣ E.g. Kellogg’s Nutrigriain breakfast à consumers want
to eat the right thing.
Healthy food will make them look & feel good, but be
tempted by junk food that straight to hips & thighs.
Respect yourself in the morning

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Turn an Idea into a Campaign Theme
§ Does the idea stand the test of time?
§ Can you create campaign for it?
‣ E.g. Bud Light ‘concept that guys will go to great
extremes to protect their favorite brand of beer.

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From One Big Idea to Hundreds of Ideas
Where Will Your Ad Run?
§ Select the right time to the right media.
§ Think beyond the traditional media or out-of-home
(OOH)
‣ e.g. shopping carts, bus shelters, park benches, and
trash dumpsters.

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From One Big Idea to Hundreds of Ideas … con’t
What’s the Context of Your Message?
§ What do they do when see or hear your ad?
What’s in the News?
§ Did something major just happen?
§ Current events reflect what’s on people’s minds?
‣ E.g. sport events? election, and TV shows.

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IKEA embraced change in D.C. the week before Obama’s inauguration

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From One Big Idea to Hundreds of Ideas … con’t
Can You Borrow from the Pages of History?
What If Your Product Were Something Else?
§ Make an analogy … what if the product were
‣ Animal, persons, etc.
What Is Your Target Audience Reading & Watching?
§ Books, movies, games, and TV program can serve as
inspiration.
§ Variety or the pop culture that relevant to target
audience.

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From One Big Idea to Hundreds of Ideas … con’t
What does the Product Look Like?
§ Make the product feel special e.g. Burger King’s ‘Fiery
fries’

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From One Big Idea to Hundreds of Ideas … con’t
Where is the Brand
Made & Sold?
§ Customizing the
message & reflect the
distinctive personalities
of the regions.

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From One Big Idea to Hundreds of Ideas … con’t
Is there an Ideal Spokesperson or Spokes-character?
§ Spokesperson or advertising trade character can help
you break through the clutter & relevant connection
with your target audience.

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From One Big Idea to Hundreds of Ideas … con’t
Is there an Idea in the Brand’s Name?
§ Make the brand name become recognize quickly
‣ E.g. Aflacts à message on what Aflac does.
» We’ve got you under our wing.
What’s the Opposite of What You’re Trying to Say?
§ Are you trying to say
‣ something’s comfortable but show uncomfortable.
‣ Sell something big but show a tiny detail.

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No backseat, no backseat driver

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Guidelines for Brainstorming
§ Don’t think you must come up with the big idea all by
yourself.
‣ Better to own 20% of a great idea > 100% of a so-so
idea.
‣ Work independently at first à bounce ideas off your
creative partner.
‣ Free association & brainstorming with a group of 6 –
12 people.
‣ Keep the session going & not kill any ideas à after the
session quality > quantity.

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Guidelines for Brainstorming … con’t
§ Start a swipe file
‣ You shouldn’t swipe ideas, but can use a
springboard.
§ Pay attention to life’s experiences
‣ Emotional connection with consumers
‣ Note of situations that move you
‣ Scenarios that will trigger an emotional

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Guidelines for Brainstorming … con’t
§ Give yourself some down time
‣ Need to give your mind a break, otherwise à you’ll
overload on stimuli.
‣ Spending time alone; turning off the television,
radio, and e-mail for a week
» remove extra noise = meditation
‣ Write a journal every day to keep your idea flowing.

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Using Criticism to Improve Your Ideas
§ Working in teams & checking your work by asking
others to react to it.
§ The ad can be judged as both consumers &
professionals.
§ Evaluate on work, not the person.

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Using Criticism to Improve Your Ideas … con’t
§ Make ‘I’ statement.
‣ I’m confused by this sentence, not confused me.
§ Be clear & specific, commenting on the work, not the
person.
§ Never say, ‘this is great, but …’
§ Control your emotions & speak in a normal tone of
voice.

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Using Criticism to Improve Your Ideas … con’t
§ Show some empathy & understanding
§ Offer practical suggestions
‣ Without suggestion à useless.
§ Be honest
‣ If you don’t like something à start &
end with positive and insert negative
between the two.

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Using Criticism to Improve Your Ideas … con’t
Common guideline for nonverbal behaviors:
§ Make eye contact with the person
§ Show your interest though a warm & expressive tone of
voice.
§ Use facial expression that are consistent with your
message.
§ Don’t slouch or slump
§ Stand or sit an appropriate distance from the other
person.
§ Choose an appropriate time & place for this discussion.

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Briefcase:
The cows are singing,
“California here I come!”

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California Milk Advisory Board
§ Premise of campaign introduced in 2000:
‣ Great cheese comes from Happy Cows à Happy
Cows come from California.
§ Expanded campaign in 2008
§ Invited consumers to vote online for the next Happy
Cow
§ Ten bovine finalists competed online & on television

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Results
§ “Imagine motivating consumers enough to elicit over
300,000 votes for fictitious cows. We are very
impressed with the results.”
§
- Michael Freeman, Vice President, Advertising, for California
Milk Advisory Board