Be the first to know. Get our weekly newsletter.

newsletter_popup Join 25,000 of your peers. Get our stories delivered to your e-mail inbox every week.
Edit Interests

Articles Selected for You

No unread stories
 
ViralBlog Logo
Close this box

Sign-up to get the content you like


Our readers can personalize ViralBlog in Zite alike ways, and schedule e-mail alerts to get the most relevant answers to their specific questions.

Choose your sign-up method:

Could not connect to Twitter. Refresh the page or try again later.

 

By signing-up you agree upon our terms and conditions

 
22/03/2013 by
8480 views

How To Kill A Big Idea In 12 Small Steps?

How to kill a big idea in 12 small steps? The brief that you have waited for all your life finally lands on your desk.

`How To Kill A Big Idea In 12 Small Steps?

The Creative Director is running in circles all over the place yelling “bring me a big idea! Bring me a big idea!”

The smug VP gives you the friendliest of smiles while chanting the usual meaningless war slogans: “bring me a campaign that no one has seen before. Bring me THE new idea. Bring me an idea that is like nothing that’s ever been done. Not even close!

Don’t worry I have the client eating out of my hand, just get it and I’ll make it happen”. And suddenly, you start believing. The fumes of battle are blinding you, the old addictive aroma of gun powder takes hold of your senses and you start sweating.

You are telling yourself that this time it is for real. This time they actually mean it. It is not you against the client, it’s you against you. After all, the big guy okayed it – approved the “different” idea, the one that no one has thought of before.

He gave you a green light to get the idea that will take you to the top – directly to that podium at Cannes. In other words – the BIG idea!!!

You kiss your wife goodbye (over the phone); you inform your kids that from now on, and indefinitely, mom is in charge; you change your voicemail from “please call later” to “please don’t ever call”; you shut yourself in the office; turn your brain ON and attack the brief.

You think. You drink coffee. You drink more coffee. You think. You go make yourself another coffee. Coffee too sour. Replace coffee. Coffee too sweet. Replace coffee again. Think again. Think that you’re thinking. Go take a leak. Your pee is too yellow. Too much coffee.

Drink glass of water…and a coffee. Put feet up on desk. Doze off. Wake. Doze off again. Go get another coffee to wake up. Doze off. Yell at the Account Executive just to wake up. Yell at the Account Executive because she woke you up.

Give up. Collapse. Lift yourself up. Collapse again. Disappointed with yourself. You tell yourself you are the worst creative ever. Now you’ve hurt your own feelings. That’s it, you give up – you’re worthless.

Lift yourself up again. Now you’re desperate. You write a resignation note. Put all your stuff in a box. Start an emotional bi-polar yo-yo: manic – depressive – manic – depressive – manic…and suddenly…it happens!!! You’ve seen the light!

The BIG idea has just landed on your desk as a ripe fruit to do with as you please. You pinch yourself to make sure you’re not dreaming. You feel a knot in your stomach (and not because you haven’t eaten for 2 days).

You circle around the idea like a fighter in a ring, making sure it doesn’t escape. You sprint to the Creative Director’s desk. You run to the smug VP. You chant the usual meaningless war slogans.

You already see yourself at the Cannes Festival asking yourself who will be the first to lift the lion high above everybody’s heads… The Creative Director?!! No shit!! It is MY idea!

The Director is willing to run with it. The VP is repeating the jokes that come with the job: “So you finally started doing something around here…”

You say to yourself: “The moment I waited for is here. It is finally here!”

The big idea is on its way!

A creative guy’s dream come true!! And then you wake up. To reality.

What About You?

Have you ever gotten the brief you waited for all your life? Do you ever think clients will understand the creative process? Tell us about your experiences.

Follow & Share
More about breaking with the status quo? Browse our category Trends & Innovations, follow ViralBlog on Twitter, grab our RSS Feed, join our Facebook movement or subscribe to our weekly e-mail newsletter.

About the Author

Oren Meir is Copywriter at Saatchi & Saatchi Israel.

 

Follow Category?

Follow Author?

Oren Meir
11 more

Follow Tags?

advertising-ageFollowUnfollowagenciesFollowUnfollowagency newsFollowUnfollowart directionFollowUnfollowasvertisingFollowUnfollowbig ideaFollowUnfollowcannesFollowUnfollowcopywriterFollowUnfollowcreativityFollowUnfollowideationFollowUnfollowisraelFollowUnfollowmad menFollowUnfollowmarketingFollowUnfollowmediaFollowUnfollowsaatchi & saatchiFollowUnfollow