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Chapter 6: IDEA
The Currency of The 21st Century

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How Do You Come Up with the Big Idea?
James Webb Young, a former
creative vice president at
James Walter Thompson
describe a 5 step process his
book.

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How Do You Come Up with the Big Idea? … con’t
§ Immersion
‣ Engross yourself in background
research, visit client, watch consumers
interact with your brand.
§ Digestion
‣ Play with information à look at
different angle.
‣ Make a list of feature à doodle or
write down phrases.

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How Do You Come Up with the Big Idea? … con’t
§ Incubation
‣ Do the activities that can relax your mind
§ Illumination
‣ Let the brain relax after being loaded with info à
spur out the idea.
» E.g. Case of Roche Commercial
We’re all born into this world small, within 3 – 4 pounds
of each other. Then life happens. And we can end up
weighing more than is healthy for us.

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How Do You Come Up with the Big Idea? … con’t
§ Reality testing
‣ Ask yourself à is that the potential idea? Solve the
problem? Is it on strategy?
‣ Don’t make too early evaluation, otherwise it might
turn to so-so idea.

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There’s a Big Idea in the Creative Brief
§ Creative brief = road map for your idea-generation.
‣ E.g. Kellogg’s Nutrigriain breakfast à consumers want
to eat the right thing.
Healthy food will make them look & feel good, but be
tempted by junk food that straight to hips & thighs.
Respect yourself in the morning

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Turn an Idea into a Campaign Theme
§ Does the idea stand the test of time?
§ Can you create campaign for it?
‣ E.g. Bud Light ‘concept that guys will go to great
extremes to protect their favorite brand of beer.

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From One Big Idea to Hundreds of Ideas
Where Will Your Ad Run?
§ Select the right time to the right media.
§ Think beyond the traditional media or out-of-home
(OOH)
‣ e.g. shopping carts, bus shelters, park benches, and
trash dumpsters.

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From One Big Idea to Hundreds of Ideas … con’t
What’s the Context of Your Message?
§ What do they do when see or hear your ad?
What’s in the News?
§ Did something major just happen?
§ Current events reflect what’s on people’s minds?
‣ E.g. sport events? election, and TV shows.

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IKEA embraced change in D.C. the week before Obama’s inauguration

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From One Big Idea to Hundreds of Ideas … con’t
Can You Borrow from the Pages of History?
What If Your Product Were Something Else?
§ Make an analogy … what if the product were
‣ Animal, persons, etc.
What Is Your Target Audience Reading & Watching?
§ Books, movies, games, and TV program can serve as
inspiration.
§ Variety or the pop culture that relevant to target
audience.

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From One Big Idea to Hundreds of Ideas … con’t
What does the Product Look Like?
§ Make the product feel special e.g. Burger King’s ‘Fiery
fries’

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From One Big Idea to Hundreds of Ideas … con’t
Where is the Brand
Made & Sold?
§ Customizing the
message & reflect the
distinctive personalities
of the regions.

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From One Big Idea to Hundreds of Ideas … con’t
Is there an Ideal Spokesperson or Spokes-character?
§ Spokesperson or advertising trade character can help
you break through the clutter & relevant connection
with your target audience.

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From One Big Idea to Hundreds of Ideas … con’t
Is there an Idea in the Brand’s Name?
§ Make the brand name become recognize quickly
‣ E.g. Aflacts à message on what Aflac does.
» We’ve got you under our wing.
What’s the Opposite of What You’re Trying to Say?
§ Are you trying to say
‣ something’s comfortable but show uncomfortable.
‣ Sell something big but show a tiny detail.

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No backseat, no backseat driver

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Guidelines for Brainstorming
§ Don’t think you must come up with the big idea all by
yourself.
‣ Better to own 20% of a great idea > 100% of a so-so
idea.
‣ Work independently at first à bounce ideas off your
creative partner.
‣ Free association & brainstorming with a group of 6 –
12 people.
‣ Keep the session going & not kill any ideas à after the
session quality > quantity.

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Guidelines for Brainstorming … con’t
§ Start a swipe file
‣ You shouldn’t swipe ideas, but can use a
springboard.
§ Pay attention to life’s experiences
‣ Emotional connection with consumers
‣ Note of situations that move you
‣ Scenarios that will trigger an emotional

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Guidelines for Brainstorming … con’t
§ Give yourself some down time
‣ Need to give your mind a break, otherwise à you’ll
overload on stimuli.
‣ Spending time alone; turning off the television,
radio, and e-mail for a week
» remove extra noise = meditation
‣ Write a journal every day to keep your idea flowing.

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Using Criticism to Improve Your Ideas
§ Working in teams & checking your work by asking
others to react to it.
§ The ad can be judged as both consumers &
professionals.
§ Evaluate on work, not the person.

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Using Criticism to Improve Your Ideas … con’t
§ Make ‘I’ statement.
‣ I’m confused by this sentence, not confused me.
§ Be clear & specific, commenting on the work, not the
person.
§ Never say, ‘this is great, but …’
§ Control your emotions & speak in a normal tone of
voice.

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Using Criticism to Improve Your Ideas … con’t
§ Show some empathy & understanding
§ Offer practical suggestions
‣ Without suggestion à useless.
§ Be honest
‣ If you don’t like something à start &
end with positive and insert negative
between the two.

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Using Criticism to Improve Your Ideas … con’t
Common guideline for nonverbal behaviors:
§ Make eye contact with the person
§ Show your interest though a warm & expressive tone of
voice.
§ Use facial expression that are consistent with your
message.
§ Don’t slouch or slump
§ Stand or sit an appropriate distance from the other
person.
§ Choose an appropriate time & place for this discussion.

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Briefcase:
The cows are singing,
“California here I come!”

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California Milk Advisory Board
§ Premise of campaign introduced in 2000:
‣ Great cheese comes from Happy Cows à Happy
Cows come from California.
§ Expanded campaign in 2008
§ Invited consumers to vote online for the next Happy
Cow
§ Ten bovine finalists competed online & on television

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Results
§ “Imagine motivating consumers enough to elicit over
300,000 votes for fictitious cows. We are very
impressed with the results.”
§
- Michael Freeman, Vice President, Advertising, for California
Milk Advisory Board