creative brief workshop

Brief guide to Briefs

Why do we have creative briefs?

So give me some guiding principles

CLARITY BREVITY FERTILITY

Clarity?

• Fishing analogy CLARITY

BREVITY

“Preparation H is of limited interest to a bunch of twentysomething creatives, but it is of incredible

interest to someone with piles.”

Jeremy Bullmore (paraphrased)

FERTILITY

The brief writer’s role

Some rules

Speak like and for a consumer, not a marketing gibbon

Creatives write from a brief, not to one

Briefs are organic and collaborative

It’s not just a brief it’s a briefing

Don’t believe the hype

creative brief

Brand Date

Product Job No.

Brand Proposition Whatever the client said in the last meeting, probably something generic.

What do we want to achieve?

This is the space to write lots of flashy and EXCITING words to inspire the creative's. Use different type fonts if possible. Don’t be afraid of listing multiple conflicting objectives either.

What is the one key insight

Fill this space with as many irrelevant facts as possible. If you can stretch it out to six or seven paragraphs, do.

What do we want people to do?

You will be tempted to write “buy more stuff” here. Don’t. Instead go for something vague and unobtainable like “feel like the first time they had a bath” or “recall a fond memory of the old five pence piece”.

How should we tell them?

Make sure you include the word “social” in this section so you can enforce a Facebook group and Twitter hash tag.

Why would they?Because product X is “The worlds most something product.” If anyone questions it or asks why, just repeat yourself until they go away.

creative brief

Brand Date

Product Job No.

Acc/Man

IA Have you engaged an IA? Technical Have you engaged technical?

R&I Have you engaged R&I?

Deadlines Last week Budget Minimal (plus it’s already been spent)

Format/MediaWrite “any media” here, that way it will be more of a fun surprise when you reveal that the client only wants banners. Tada!

Audience specifics

You should be able to go into graphical and inane detail regarding the target audience. Give the guy/girl who represents your audience a name, a job, a selection of library books they have borrowed and not returned and the details of who they absconded with in 1991 after a minor mental breakdown behind Tesco express on a wet night in January. All gold to the creative's. The more you give the better those standard banners are going to look.

Creative inspiration

This is the place to provide all the links to the kind of work you want to copy, plagiarise and borrow from. They must be good ideas if they have already been made and you will only need to make a few minor alterations to shoe horn in your brand. Stealing off of ordinary internet people looks the best and will totally win loads of awards, but stealing off of other ads and campaigns is also perfectly acceptable.

Creative mandatories

This is a fun section, just write literally the first thing that pops into your head.

How to write one well

There are no boring boxes (and make sure you fill in the right one)

Let your personality, or the personality of the consumer shine through

Use evocative, unexpected language

Every word is sacred. Don’t waste or misuse a single one.

Have a consistent theme to the entire brief

Don’t fuck with the template to squeeze more shit in

The Apple Creative Brief Challenge

creative brief

Brand Date

Product Job No.Product

Brand dd/mm/yy

DD0123

Brand Proposition Quality is closer to home than you think





Why would they?

GOOD!

creative brief

Brand Date


Brand dd/mm/yy

DD0123

Brand Proposition


Make British Apples sexy again




Why would they?

GOOD!

creative brief

Brand Date


Brand dd/mm/yy

DD0123

Brand Proposition


We want a country that says no to uniform, sub standard apples. Yay to lumpy! Yay to mis-shaped! And most importantly yay to apples that taste better!




Why would they?

AN INSIGHT

THAT MAKES

AN ACE

OBJECTIVE!

creative brief

Brand Date


Brand dd/mm/yy

DD0123

Brand Proposition


Business objective / increase British apple sales by 50% by the end of 2010Marketing objective / drive positive brand perception by 75% by the end of 2010




Why would they?

SMART. BUT

MAYBE TOO

SMART

creative brief

Brand Date


Brand dd/mm/yy

DD0123

Brand Proposition


Improve perceptions of British Apples. Increase sales of British Apples.




Why would they?

GENERIC

creative brief

Brand Date


Brand dd/mm/yy

DD0123

Brand Proposition


We need to improve the perception of British Apples, raising the NPS score to 9




Why would they?

MARKETINGESE

creative brief

Brand Date


Brand dd/mm/yy

DD0123

Brand Proposition


We want to motivate health fanatics to ingest 33.3% of their antioxidants/vitaminC from locally grown british apples

(we want to do this to increase the perception and sales of local grown brit apples)




Why would they?

TOO MUCH

SCIENCE

creative brief

Brand Date


Brand dd/mm/yy

DD0123

Brand Proposition



Fruit’s got pretentious. Tasmanian Loganberries, Brazillian Passion Fruit, and vast, glossy jet-setting Starkimson apples from South Africa all typify style trumping substance. And it’s not even pretension for the sake of individuality: all the internationally-sourced, chemically-enhanced, morpholine-buffed apples look and taste the same.



Why would they?

GOOD!

creative brief

Brand Date


Brand dd/mm/yy

DD0123

Brand Proposition



Health fanatics are not bothered about the taste and look of produce they consume. From placenta munching to urine swilling, as long as they know it is the best produce that gives their bodies the best health benefits, they are down pat.

Healthy people don’t care what it looks like. They care about the facts and what it does for their health.



Why would they?

GOOD!

creative brief

Brand Date


Brand dd/mm/yy

DD0123

Brand Proposition



Britain loves an underdog.



Why would they?

“WHY WOULD

THEY?” AS

AN INSIGHT

creative brief

Brand Date


Brand dd/mm/yy

DD0123

Brand Proposition



British people love a good cause, especially when it’s about British foodstuffs. Chat to people about marmite or the correct way to make tea and you’ll find passion on an exponential scale.



Why would they?

“WHY WOULD

THEY?” AS

AN INSIGHT

creative brief

Brand Date


Brand dd/mm/yy

DD0123

Brand Proposition



In general terms, apples have fallen by the wayside in favour of more exotic fruit, with British apples suffering at the hands of cheap imports as supermarkets favour their bulk production. In 1987 there were 1,500 registered apple growers in the UK, today there are just 400. Only 31% of UK apple sales are home grown, and all these imports also make for a massive carbon footprint.



Why would they?

INFORMATION

NOT INSIGHT

creative brief

Brand Date


Brand dd/mm/yy

DD0123

Brand Proposition



Consumers and supermarkets have no sense of loyalty to the British apple market



Why would they?

BUSINESS

PROBLEM BUT

NO INSIGHTFUL

SOLUTION

creative brief

Brand Date


Brand dd/mm/yy

DD0123

Brand Proposition



The good old 19th century saying ‘An apple a day keeps the doctor away’ is as true today as it was back then but it’s definitely not something we live by. Our hectic lifestyle is making people turn to the easiest and least time consuming option even when it comes to buying fruit. This has resulted in that people are: •are eating more ready made portioned fruit from far, far away = expensive for the consumer & bad for the environment•drinking more juice (from concentrate) rather than eating fruit = bad for their teeth & a health risk with all that sugar•And even when they do eat or buy it’s usually the ones from outside the UK. Not that they know about it. Actually, when asked most haven’t even thought about it and just assumed that it’s from the UK. They don’t know & they don’t know what the difference is.



Why would they?

TOO MANY

INSIGHTS.

creative brief

Brand Date


Brand dd/mm/yy

DD0123

Brand Proposition



What do we want people to do? Explore how being different is awesome


Why would they?

GOODISH!

creative brief

Brand Date


Brand dd/mm/yy

DD0123

Brand Proposition



What do we want people to do? Make the less obvious choice


Why would they?

GOOD!

creative brief

Brand Date


Brand dd/mm/yy

DD0123

Brand Proposition



What do we want people to do? Rescue the British Apple species


Why would they?

GOOD!

(PASSIVE AS ACTIVE)

creative brief

Brand Date


Brand dd/mm/yy

DD0123

Brand Proposition



What do we want people to do? Sin. Eat the forbidden fruit.


Why would they?

GREAT!

creative brief

Brand Date


Brand dd/mm/yy

DD0123

Brand Proposition



What do we want people to do? Remember how great British apples are and start buying them again!


Why would they?

OBJECTIVE,

NOT

PROPOSITION

creative brief

Brand Date


Brand dd/mm/yy

DD0123

Brand Proposition



What do we want people to do? Buy more British apples


Why would they?

OBJECTIVE,

NOT

PROPOSITION

creative brief

Brand Date


Brand dd/mm/yy

DD0123

Brand Proposition



What do we want people to do? Enjoy the fresh taste, buy seasonally and feel proud to be buying British apples


Why would they?

THREE

PROPOSITIONS

IN ONE

creative brief

Brand Date


Brand dd/mm/yy

DD0123

Brand Proposition




Support British apples and experiment in eating them, sending a message to the supermarkets to stock more


Why would they?

INSTRUCTION

NOT

INSPIRATION

creative brief

Brand Date


Brand dd/mm/yy

DD0123

Brand Proposition




How should we tell them? It looks ugly for a reason

Why would they?

GOOD!

creative brief

Brand Date


Brand dd/mm/yy

DD0123

Brand Proposition




How should we tell them? British imperfection is beautiful

Why would they?

GOOD!

creative brief

Brand Date


Brand dd/mm/yy

DD0123

Brand Proposition




How should we tell them? Ugly tries harder

Why would they?

GOOD!

creative brief

Brand Date


Brand dd/mm/yy

DD0123

Brand Proposition




How should we tell them? The quirkier the better

Why would they?

GREAT!

creative brief

Brand Date


Brand dd/mm/yy

DD0123

Brand Proposition




How should we tell them? Beauty is only skin deep

Why would they?

GREAT!

creative brief

Brand Date


Brand dd/mm/yy

DD0123

Brand Proposition




How should we tell them? Reignite the spirit of the Great British Apple

Why would they?

BELIEVING

THE CLIENT

HYPE

creative brief

Brand Date


Brand dd/mm/yy

DD0123

Brand Proposition




How should we tell them? Keep yourself and your local community healthy by eating more British apples

Why would they?

TWO

DIFFERENT

IDEAS

creative brief

Brand Date


Brand dd/mm/yy

DD0123

Brand Proposition




How should we tell them? When it comes to apples, British is best

Why would they?

FACTUAL NOT

INSPIRATIONAL

creative brief

Brand Date


Brand dd/mm/yy

DD0123

Brand Proposition




How should we tell them? Find Britain’s tastiest apple

Why would they?

DIRECTIONAL

creative brief

Brand Date


Brand dd/mm/yy

DD0123

Brand Proposition




How should we tell them? How do you nibble yours?

Why would they?

DERIVATIVE

creative brief

Brand Date


Brand dd/mm/yy

DD0123

Brand Proposition




How should we tell them? Ugly tries harder

Why would they?

DERIVATIVE

creative brief

Brand Date


Brand dd/mm/yy

DD0123

Brand Proposition





Why would they?

Patriotism, and compassion for British farmers, they will feel positive about supporting the local economy.There has, of late, been a real trend for locally sourced, organic produce: you’ve only got to listen to the likes of Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsay etc. Interest: the superior quality and vast variety of British apples is perhaps not something that is common knowledge. This coupled with the trend for home cooking could inspire people to try something different.

GOOD!

creative brief

Brand Date


Brand dd/mm/yy

DD0123

Brand Proposition





Why would they?It’s quirky and honest message around quality and patriotism.Should make them feel like they’re being a little bit different and supporting the underdog.

GOOD!

creative brief

Brand Date


Brand dd/mm/yy

DD0123

Brand Proposition





Why would they?

Choose British:Overseas foreign imports might look great on the outside, but under the skin is lurking fruit based demons:Pesticides & HerbicidesGenetic engineering for size and colour decreases taste1000s of Carbon Miles

Where as British apples, whilst slightly uglier, are natural and tasty – and beautiful because of it.

GREAT!

creative brief

Brand Date


Brand dd/mm/yy

DD0123

Brand Proposition





Why would they?

Each of the 2000 variants of British apple, from ‘Knobby Russet’ to ‘Nutmeg Pippin’, has its own distinct local flavour and texture that tells a story about where it came from - the history, the farmers and the wildlife its orchard support. By finding out more about the food they are eating, people will feel more informed and more satisfied with the value of their food choices.

GREAT!

creative brief

Brand Date


Brand dd/mm/yy

DD0123

Brand Proposition





Why would they? They should interact because they will learn something new.

UNREALISTIC

creative brief

Brand Date


Brand dd/mm/yy

DD0123

Brand Proposition





Why would they?

Eating more apples, particularly locally grown ones would not only see them healthier and happier and with a better memory (eating apples prevents dementia), it would actually save them a lot of money as well as an average non-UK “perfect looking apple” is 21p more expensive. But few people know this.Locally grown apples are now clearly labelled in the supermarket so it’s easy to spot which ones are indeed from the UK. We’ve also launched a range of fresh apple juices which are available in most supermarkets. And, to inspire the UK public, with each purchase you get a neat little receipe book on quick apple fixes, from apple crumble to apple sauce.

CLIENT

BRIEF

creative brief

Brand Date


Brand dd/mm/yy

DD0123

Brand Proposition





Why would they?

Stage one: they’ve read about the cause and want to try something different, they’re inspired to go out and find a British apple.

Stage two: they loved it and start campaigning, fed up with the fact that their local supermarket isn’t stocking what they want.

STRATEGIC

OUTCOME

creative brief

Brand Date


Brand dd/mm/yy

DD0123

Brand Proposition





Why would they?

We are creating a fun, engaging campaign which is based on facts rather than a hard sales pitch. We are appealing to the health conscious side of our audience whom actually want good quality and we are arming them with information in a light hearted way. Think: I want to embrace natural produce grown on British turf

CAMPAIGN

PROOFS NOT

PRODUCT

PROOFS

creative brief

Brand Date

Product Job No.

Producer Who is the primary producer? Planner Who is the primary planner?

IA Have you engaged an IA? Technical Have you engaged technical?

R&I Have you engaged R&I?

Deadlines hh:mm dd/mm/yyyy Budget £xx,xxx

Format/Media Big Idea/Product/Event/Tool/Widget/Advertising/Website/Email & what sort of places will it appear?

Audience specifics Are there any detailed consumer facts and figures that will help the teams get to a creative idea?

Creative inspiration

Are there any inspirational websites, campaigns, artworks, programmes, whatever, that will help the creative teams

Creative mandatories

Is there anything that just HAS to be included in the creative solution? Adaptability for multiple languages, inclusion of logo, space for third party advertising, existing creative lines etc

Product

Brand dd/mm/yy

DD0123

Your task

Get into threesomes (and the occasional foursome)

Go discuss your briefs, what you found hard, what you would change

Quickly compose a new one page brief together

Bring it back to the group and present it in less than 2 minutes

Consider how you would do the briefing

Now go and practice…