Liberating Creativity: The Old Agency Model Doesn't Work Anymore
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I remember years ago, the first week I started work as an account executive in advertising. I was sitting in a training room, attending a workshop about how to define an idea in the context of advertising. All the new account executives, copywriters and designers took notes diligently on the various aspects and dimensions that our trainer indicated, to define a valid advertising idea. Then we split into breakout sessions, in small teams, to brainstorm ideas for a TV commercial. I remember a young, talented copywriter on my team was very frustrated because he could not decide if some of the thoughts he had could qualify as an advertising idea because they were not “campaignable.”
It felt that as young professionals, we spent more time debating if an idea was right or wrong by definition, and not enough time on whether the idea should be better, more effective, more engaging, or more compelling. We definitely did not spend any time debating if it must live on TV, or whether the idea solved any real business problems, disrupted any industry infrastructures, or created any opportunity to expand the brand’s influence as a service or utility. The vocabulary for what we must deliver for our clients now simply did not exist.
Creative departments need to change
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