There are three main barriers to creative thinking – lack of clarity, lack of time, and lack of space.
A good creative can crack any brief, as long as that brief is clear. No one should be made to suffer woolly briefs. Clue: if the phrase in the ‘single-minded proposition’ box contains the word ‘and’, it’s not a single-minded proposition.
A good creative can crack any brief, given enough time. But nowadays we don’t seem to have much. I’m not really sure why. It’s a big problem. And a deceptive one, because of course, it’s totally possible to come up with an idea in 24 hours. In fact it’s possible to come up with an idea in 10 seconds. And it might be brilliant. Might.
A good creative can crack any brief, given a quiet space to work in. But we no longer have that. Typically you’re writing an ad for a wine brand and the guys next to you are talking about dog food, or car insurance, and the team on the other side are playing techno, and you’re screwed. I worry about the introverts. Open-plan is fine for suits, but many creatives are introverts and open-plan makes them freeze, makes their skin crawl. I guess it was supposed to foster collaboration, but we actually work in pairs, not one big “group. Every team’s just desperate to get away from everyone else and find some peace and quiet, to do some thinking.
A clear brief, a week, and a quiet space to work in. That’s all we need, folks.
Six other top creatives have their say in Creative Focus in the next print issue of AdNews, out 31 October. You can subscribe here or get it on iPad.
Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at adnews@yaffa.com.au
Sign up to the AdNews newsletter, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for breaking stories and campaigns throughout the day. Need a job? Visit adnewsjobs.com.au.