My book in a truer sense to me never really resembled a Watford book.
That is three posters summed up by a strategy line.
I always worked backwards in a way, I would see the problem and then try and solve it,
the line would come afterwards when I wanted to sum up what it was.
Problem and solution was always the layout I worked by when I was a solo creative,
and gradually it is coming back in my team work.
It was what I was most comfortable with, and it was easier for me.
But when I produced something that genuinely solved a problem,
that all it needed was one page to say and show it all,
it would be seen as a one off or a piece of content at book critics.
I thought nothing of these words, until one day I met Ben Walker co-founder of WHO WOT WHY.
Who when I described my breastfeeding t as a piece of content, looked at me in disgust,
and said that these words downgrade the idea, its bigger then this small title.
While a strategy can be titled a big idea, that teams can write off by just reading the line,
one idea on its own is only seen small, just a piece of a big buffet.
Lets turn the tables.
Instead of the buffet being how many times you can write adverts off it,
what if it was how much of a impact it made in society, the world!
Then you have a real level playing field then, when you see it that way -
"Is a big idea how much you can do with it, or how much of a impact it makes?"
I raised this question to strategist Chris Bosher of Mother, he found it a very interesting point,
so I felt to start chasing it in this blog post.
You could argue at the student book stage,
you can't sum up the impact of a idea by guessing off the page,
but thats why its encouraged to go out and make it famous with the public.
See if it really works out in the real world.
But shouldn't a great creative see a great idea? And know its potential?
Well its easier to see the size of the idea, by how many executions you have write off it.
Thats why I feel its a good practice to do the strategy line with posters in student books.
Another point you could argue, is a strategy line in the business sense of things,
has a longer financially lasting value.
What I mean is the client will always be coming back to you to write another advert,
for that idea you won the pitch with.
However could the impact of a idea attract more clients to your service?
Make you more well known, instead of another advert that didn't live up to the last.
Its like a great movie, did it really need a sequel,
should we leave it as it is, and write a new masterpiece with its own heart and soul!
It reminds me of what Johnny Ruthven at WCRS said -
how many times do you need to deliver the punchline until its not funny anymore?
Some would argue the true value of a execution is what it brings to the idea,
that its not a repeat of the last one, a new way of seeing it etc.
Like the twerking man of MoneySuperMarket 'Dave',
this execution was iconic, it became it's own thing!
People would repeat it on the streets, hot pants and high heels!
That showed impact while being one advert off a existing idea!
But then you go off on a whole different battle of execution vs idea...
However you could argue that one execution made the idea famous to people!
After that no other execution could top it...
Was that just enough, bye thats it!
We are not repeating the punchline.
I feel with all this writing I myself am getting lost.....
So if your still here reading, thank you!
BREAK...........
Ok this will only be short before dinner time,
but at the end of the day a creative is a problem solver,
if we were to compare what we are to the big idea,
perhaps its not how much you can do with it but the impact,
the size of the problem it solves!
Recently I have been critiquing books, I judge a idea by what problem it's tackling,
if it's doing something differently though targeting a different audience,
that would increase it's sales etc.
No point selling carling to men when they already drinking carling!
I like it when a student tries to challenge themselves, the market,
by targeting a new audience, whether it to be stealing people from other rivals in the market,
or getting people from the outside the market.
All that matters is if I can see change, genuine change,
change for the better!
Whether it be for the brand or for the people they are targeting.
That makes impact the winner, when you think change can be summed up by marked effect!
No point doing loads of adverts, when the idea did not have the platform in the first place.
Thats it folks,
a big idea is the size of the problem it solves.
But I'll leave you with this,
is impact better when the public talk about it or if it changes the fortunes of the brand?
perhaps its down to the desired effect...
I still strangely think this has not been solved....
