Avoid not having the foggiest idea

I was lucky to get one of my first jobs in the Creative industry at a large agency with a plethora of great minds to learn and feed off. One of the most important things I garnered from this environment was the key distinctions between an idea and an execution — a pitfall that I still see many people fall into that prevents them from creating the strongest work that will resonate more greatly with their audience.

Since then, I’ve gained experience over the last decade that led to me holding more senior positions and mentoring younger Creatives. It is a lesson I’ve tried to instil in every budding mind that often have fantastic, new and inventive executions but all too frequently are missing an idea that robustly holds a campaign together. It’s all well and good wanting to have Messi breaking a bank vault open with his footballing prowess, skilfully navigating some Mission Impossible style lasers along the way, but you always need to answer one seemingly simple question – why?

Focus it in truth

Firstly an idea, while it might have some more obvious executions attached to it, is a key insight. It holds a truth that can be built upon to give whatever is shot, designed or written a strong foundation and root it in a purpose. More often than not, a tagline or slogan will very strongly mimic if not be exactly the same as the idea, because it summarises the brand messaging in a punchy, direct and easily digestible format that speaks to the consumer. If your idea can’t be summarised in one short sentence, then it is likely one of two things; an execution or a poorly focused “idea” that comprises of several ideas put together.

Another indicator of whether what your ever-sparking brain has concocted is an idea, is whether it has longevity. If you can easily see how that one idea could be represented in a number of different ways, then you’re onto something strong. One example I always like to give is the Guinness slogan “Good things come to those who wait”. Over the course of twenty years Guinness have found numerous ways to bring that idea alive, from surfing horses to the evolution of man. It holds a key insight into potential consumers and even goes one step further and takes a negative aspect of the drink (it takes longer to pour than regular beer) and turns it into a positive. Lastly, it positions its drinkers as refined – they have good taste and therefore will take the time to satisfy their superior palette..

Do it your way

While I personally prefer to start with a strong idea before moving onto execution, this isn’t necessarily the way you have to work. After all, it isn’t always the way our brains work — if you see a piece of inspiring art or design, or perhaps your imagination is running off and thinking of bizarre and exciting scenarios, then the execution may well come first. However, in those situations you should always look to go back and retrofit an idea into that execution. Not only will it make that initial campaign more effective and focused, it also opens the door to further executions around the same brand message for a long time to come. This in itself will build brand recognition and loyalty as the product or service becomes more familiar to the audience and in some cases can even become part of their identity.

Whatever your Creative process, if it works for you then stick with it – don’t get worried or bogged down too much in what order the pieces fit together. Do take the time however to look at what you’re proposing on the page to ascertain if there is a single-minded thought that holds the work together. If not, there’s no need to bin it, just think about what that singular idea should be and watch your projects elevate in quality and relatability.