Creative Brie f
Brand Idea
(?)
Discoveries from the world
Problem
(?)
Participants
(?)
Task
(?)
Stimulus
(?)
Response
(?)
Channel and Technology thinking
(?)
The things we could make
(?)
Where in the world Timing
Budget
Creative Mandatories
Approvals
Client:
Project:
Brand:
Contact:
Date:
Job no:
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What is the main purpose of this tool?
The main purpose of the Creative Brief is to direct and inspire creativity.
Where in the process should this tool be used?
The brief should be used at the end of the Collision phase and during the Make phase. It captures the decisions made during the Collision phase about what communication is needed, and then directs the creative development of those needs.
How does this tool work?
It provides a written record of what needs to be created and offers direction and inspiration for doing it.
You should use the Creative Brief together with a Channel and Technology Plan.
How to use this tool?
No creative development should happen at JWT without this JWT Creative Brief. So do not use the client brief format, and do not use a different JWT Creative Brief format. There are no exceptions to this for any office otherwise we will be reducing our chances of working easily together as Network.
Remember, you can have multiple Creative Briefs if you are developing work in specifically different channels. For example, you can have a social media Creative Brief and a separate PR Creative Brief and separate poster advertising Creative Brief. Alternatively you might want to brief lots of channels together as a campaign on one brief. Use the Channel and Technology Plan to help you think about what you need to achieve different things.
This one Creative Brief format is to be used for briefing any channel;
from a TV ad to a website. There are no other Creative Briefs for specific channels. Remember you can add attachments to the brief if you feel more detailed or specific information is needed.
The Creative Brief has a full explanation of how to use it as part of the document. It is reproduced here.
Creative Brief Notes:
Brand Idea
This should describe the idea for the brand. It will therefore be a short phrase or sentence. This is not an endline that may already exist for the brand. Neither is it the campaign idea that a brand may be employing. The Creative Brief is inviting work that will further develop the brand idea.
Creative Brief
Discoveries from the world
This describes the most inspiring things (facts, ideas, references…) you have discovered from looking in original places. These can come from other countries and cultures but also other ‘worlds’ from the category of the brand e.g. sport, fashion, science-fiction. Whatever it is, it should provoke a fresh way of thinking about the brand.
Problem
This should describe the problem that we intend to address. This should reference the business problem (e.g. defending a price rise, losing market share) but also be clear about the specific problem we are asking the things we make to solve (e.g. a brand being seen as old-fashioned, or no awareness of the diet variant). The ‘Task’ section below should link to this problem.
Participants
This section should describe the people (or person) we are designing for, and how they might participate in the things we are making. These will be the buyers or end users of the brand, product or thing — but they might also be employees, corporate decision makers, journalists, investors, etc., and there may be multiple groups. It should describe the experiences that have shaped their current relationship with the brand (e.g. personal use, the experience of others whose opinion they value) and what kind of new thing or experience would be required to change that relationship.
It should also capture the broader patterns of their lives to help identify when, where and how we can engage them with that new thing.
Task
This should identify the specific tasks that we are looking to achieve with the things we make. The task described must have a logical link to the
‘Problem’ section on the brief. There can be as many tasks as are necessary, but each must be a realistic and important part of what we are trying to make. Different tasks may be assigned to different things in the ‘Channel and Technology Thinking’ section of the brief.
Stimulus
This pithily describes the inspiration for the things we want to make. It is the first half of the stimulus-response couplet. It is not ‘stimulus’ in the sense of ‘some interesting stuff that might lead somewhere’. It is also not the response, but should have an obvious link to the ‘Response’ section. If you are briefing advertising then this stimulus will be ONE thing (a bit like a traditional proposition). But this ‘Stimulus’ section is not limited to briefing just advertising. You can use this to brief any kind of thing e.g. a short film, an event, some PR, some rich on-line media. In these instances you may need to include more than one stimulus. For example, a brief for a website may need stimulus about product information, user reviews, and purchase information (obviously more information can be included in attachments).
Response
This should describe how we want the audience to respond to the things we make. It is the second half of the stimulus-response couplet. The
response should be realistic and credible based on the role communication is designed to play. This is not a wish-list but it may contain a few things.
This should be a short description of what experience the things we make
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should deliver and how it will serve the needs of its participants (as well as those of the brand). The response experience could be anything that engages participants with the brand. It could be brand generated (e.g.
advertising, PR, event, pop-up store, website, mobile app, facebook, You tube) or user generated (e.g. advocates in discussion forums, blogging, Twitter, Flickr). It can detail how they respond to the things immediately, but also what we are trying to do over the longer term.
Channel and Technology Thinking
This section should ensure that technology and channels are part of the early conversations in developing the things we want to make. Here you should write the thinking or the principles that could inspire new channels or uses of technology e.g. channels which are associated with success, location-based technology. You do not write executions of that thinking here; you put that in the ‘Things we could make’ section. It should include the best judgments we can make about what is helpful at this stage in the process. It is not a mandatory list, and should be revised iteratively as we progress to making things.
Things we could make
This question will strongly focus our minds on output. The section should state the things that are needed to be made as a result of this brief. Sometimes those ‘things’ will be advertising things, like a print ad.
Sometimes they will be on-line things, like a website. But it can also include real things that need to be made — physical objects — like a book, or a chair, or a spoon. Include any mandatory things that have to be made (e.g. a TV ad), but also include your own specific suggestions that execute your thinking in the ‘Channel and Technology Thinking’ section (e.g. use Limousines as channel, make a Bluetooth service that sends passers-by a voucher). These are not mandatory but will be helpful.
Where in the world
This should list the geographies involved AND summarise the thinking about how we should tackle them. Is it one-size-fits-all? Or do we want different things for different clusters of countries?
Timing/Making it happen
It should include key timings, but should also be about the broader path to getting to ‘go’. This should include key obstacles and plans for how to overcome them.
Budget & Creative Mandatories
This should be absolute executional ‘must-haves’, not ‘would-be-good-to-haves’.
Approvals
Approval processes may vary around the world of JWT. But briefs should be approved by at least one person, other than the author, before creative development begins in earnest.
You can see four examples of best practice Creative Briefs over the following pages.
Creative Brief
FIG. 33: BING BEST PRACTICE CREATIVE BRIEF
Creative Brief
Brand Idea (?)
The Decision Aid.
Discoveries from the world
People’s use of Google is more habitual than brushing their teeth.
Google often retrieves unhelpful pages of irrelevant links.
People are using search engines to help make decisions.
Problem (?)
Google is an ingrained habit that is very hard to break. Hence Microsoft has only a very small share of the search market.
Participants (?)
Anyone with an important decision to make. They currently use Google as their default choice, but there is no sense that a choice is being made between search engines. People like Google, but have a more functional rather than emotional connection to it.
Task (?)
Surface the sense of dissatisfaction with Google.
Convince people there is a real alternative.
Stimulus (?)
Bing. Where smarter searches make smarter decisions.
Response (?)
Not all search engines are the same.
Bing is for those searches where I want to get a head start on making an informed decision.
Channel and Technology thinking (?)
Use channels and technologies that disrupt behaviour.
Hijack the search process on Google.
The things we could make (?)
Screen takeovers, rich media pop-‐ups, content for an entire ad break on TV.
Where in the world US.
Timing Budget
Creative Mandatories Approvals
Use the line,’ Bing and decide’.
Client: Microsoft Project:
Brand: Bing Contact:
Date: Job no:
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FIG. 34: HEINEKEN BEST PRACTICE CREATIVE BRIEF
Creative Mandatories Approvals
Must use endline, “Made to Entertain’.
Creative Brief
Brand Idea (?)
Made to Entertain
Discoveries from the world
The world is in a deep recession, but in comparison Italy is in an even deeper one. Consumers will become enormously price sensitive in the coming months.
Beer drinkers have a common understanding of how to behave with their male friends.
Heineken is famous for sponsoring and providing entertainment eg Champions League, music gigs.
Problem (?)
Heineken’s premium price will come under great pressure as the recession bites. Drinkers will more than likely trade down to cheaper alternatives, especially at home.
Participants (?)
Slightly older beer drinkers in Italy who have a longing to stay young and enjoy the entertaining camaraderie of the mates – the ‘Peter Pan Syndrome’. They are aware of the important ‘friendship rules’ that exist between them and their drinking buddies eg being not serious, being loyal, not being grown up, being carefree…
Task (?)
To add emotional value – bonding -‐ to the Heineken brand to make it seem worth its extra cost.
Stimulus (?)
Heineken champions the unwritten rules of beer drinking.
Response (?)
This brand reminds me of the importance of my friends and my love of leading a youthful, carefree life.
I should stay true to my mates and the beer that entertains us.
Channel and Technology thinking (?)
Consider channels that are in themselves entertaining. Can people experience entertainment and not just hear a message about it?
Social media is a critical part of friendship.
Consider technologies that enable entertainment to be shared.
The things we could make (?)
A ‘beer drinking rules’ book.
A telephone helpline for men who are deserting their friends.
TV ads are compulsory.
Where in the world Italy
Timing Budget
Client: Heineken Project:
Brand: Heineken Contact:
Date: Job no:
Creative Brief
FIG. 35: ALLEN’S BEST PRACTICE CREATIVE BRIEF
Where in the world Australia
Timing Budget
Creative Mandatories Approvals
Creative Brief
Brand Idea (?)
Allen’s makes smiles
Discoveries from the world
Australia hasn’t actually entered into a recession and has a reasonably optimistic economic outlook, yet the Global Financial Crisis has set a serious tone in the brand communications landscape.
People’s love of lollies is universally linked to childhood when they would bring sheer delight and unmitigated joy to any moment.
Problem (?)
The Jellies confectionary category is no longer defined by Allen’s, rather the introduction of The Natural Confectionary Company has given consumers a very rational ‘better for you’, ‘natural’ option, and Allen’s, lacking an effective ‘better for you’ option, hasn’t been competitive.
Parents have become focused on a perceived healthier choice and forgotten about the impact the fun of lollies can have on both kids and adults alike. As such, we are witnessing the decline of a 120 year old Australian icon.
Participants (?)
Parents, mainly mums. She looks fondly upon her own childhood as being full of curious wonder and adventure, unlike the more restrictive and over-‐scheduled lives kids must live today. This is why she thinks it is important to provide opportunities to create and share in childlike delights like lollies with her kids and family.
Task (?)
Win the hearts of mums and kids alike by putting the fun, magic and smiles back into Allen’s jellies.
Stimulus (?)
Release the wonderment of childhood with the magic of Allen’s
Response (?)
With Allen’s I can create an outlet for fun and joy my kids need for their happiness and wellbeing.
Channel and Technology thinking (?)
Channels to entertain and entertaining channels. Must be able to tell the brand story to reignite people’s love of Allen’s.
The things we could make (?)
Large-‐scale childhood nostalgia event, with associated filmic content.
Street artists.
TV is mandatory.
Client: Nestle Project:
Brand: Allen’s Contact:
Date: Job no:
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FIG. 36: COC A-COLA BEST PRACTICE CREATIVE BRIEF
Brasil
Timing Budget
Creative Mandatories Approvals
Must use endline “Celebrate in your own way”
Creative Brief
Brand Idea (?)
Happiness
Discoveries from the world
Every four years the world unites to celebrate not only football but the coming together of different nations.
At least that’s how some countries face it... Brasilians, however, see it in a more intimate way: the team’s matches are bank holidays – the country literally stops to get together and support them.
E.g., São Paulo, one the cities with heaviest traffic in the world looks like this:
youtube.com/watch?v=FpPJ3yxijzk.
Brasilians cease facing football simply as a sport or the love for a team/player. It becomes the main content for everything: Carnival, soaps, songs, talk shows… it transcends everything to rise as the focus of all conversations.
Problem (?)
During the World Cup there is also another championship going on: the World Cup of brands – dozens compete for a place in the consumers’ hearts through football. There is huge clutter and similarity in how brands speak about football.
Participants (?)
Football-‐loving Brasilians – teens in reality or at heart. Mainly from lower income class, football is already their lens through which they live their life. Being part of Brasil’s winning and massive crowd of supporters makes them proud – it’s their main patriotic expression.
Task (?)
Find a unique way for Coca Cola to speak about football during this World Cup.
Turn Coca Cola’s jingle into the most memorable World Cup song in Brasil.
Stimulus (?)
Coca-Cola’s song helps you celebrate in the World Cup
Response (?)
People will sing the song during the World Cup games.
Channel and Technology thinking (?)
To make the music as whole part of the participants’ ‘football life’.
The things we could make (?)
A football chants app for smart phones.
A soundtrack to the football TV show.
Where in the world
Client: Coca Cola Project: World Cup Song
Brand: Coca Cola Contact:
Date: Job no:
Creative Brief
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