But First, Ideas.
Class #8 with Stephie Coplan
Today, we are talking about the biggest, most important concept of your entire career:
THE BIG IDEA.
This entire semester, we have been using the word “idea” to mean “the thought within an ad.”
But I lied to you...sort of.
In the real world, an “idea” is usually a synonym for a “campaign.”
The ads within the campaign are called “executions.”
And that’s what you’ll call them from this point on, not only in class, but in your career.
Each of these executions has sort of a micro-idea within it.
But when CDs talk about “the big idea,” they mean:
what’s the campaign?
The “big idea”
An execution
The “big idea”
An execution
The “big idea”
An execution
A big idea usually isn’t a concrete thing (although sometimes it is.)
Usually, it’s a thought.
It’s a platform.
It’s a message.
It’s something a brand can ideate against in a million different ways, in a million different mediums, forever.
Insight
Idea
Execution
Execution
Execution
Execution
People have an inherent distrust of fast food.
Let’s answer their questions 100% honestly.
Social posts soliciting people for their questions.
A podcast series where we do interviews with employees
A billboard that has a real question on it
A TV spot that shows exactly how we make burgers look better on TV
We have already studied insights.
People have an inherent distrust of fast food.
Let’s answer their questions 100% honestly.
Social posts soliciting people for their questions.
A podcast series where we do interviews with employees
A billboard that has a real question on it
A TV spot that shows exactly how we make burgers look better on TV
And we’ve done tons of executions.
People have an inherent distrust of fast food.
Let’s answer their questions 100% honestly.
Social posts soliciting people for their questions.
A podcast series where we do interviews with employees
A billboard that has a real question on it
A TV spot that shows exactly how we make burgers look better on TV
THIS is the big idea.
The big idea is the thought behind not just the one execution you landed on, but all the other executions that could go alongside your execution in a campaign.
So, maybe you have an insight and a print idea.
Cool.
Now, challenge yourself to think:
Is my print idea the only way I can bring my insight to life?
What about radio? TV? Social?
If you are confused about whether the thing you thought of is an idea or an execution,
try thinking:
Would this work in radio, social, billboard, digital, and every other medium imaginable?
If so, you just might have a big idea
on your hands.
People think “Jeopardy!” is for old people.
It’s cool to be smart.
An Instagram account with a daily fact to help you sound smart in meetings.
A radio spot showing “Jeopardy” trivia in hip-hop lyrics
A TV spot about how frustrating it is to work with dumb people in the office
Bar trivia takeover with Alex Trebek
THIS is the big idea.
EXAMPLES
NO NAME
CLIENT: No Name
INSIGHT: No Name has zero cleverness when it comes to how they name their products, which makes it more authentic and transparent.
Based on what you just saw, what was the idea of the campaign?
CLIENT: No Name
INSIGHT: There’s a beautiful, authentic, transparent simplicity in how No Name names their products.
IDEA: What if everything in the world was a No Name product?
How could No Name have said this on a billboard?
Radio?
Social?
CARLTON BEER
CLIENT: Carlton Beer, a totally average beer from Australia
INSIGHT: Why are beer commercials so big and expensive when the product itself is so cheap, frivolous, and unimportant?
Based on what you just saw, what was the idea of the campaign?
CLIENT: Carlton Beer, a totally average beer from Australia
INSIGHT: Why are beer commercials so big and expensive when the product itself is so cheap, frivolous, and unimportant?
IDEA: Let’s make fun of how over-the-top beer branding is by making the most over-the-top campaign ever.
What are some ways Carlton could have made the biggest, most expensive radio spot ever?
The biggest, most expensive print?
The biggest, most expensive billboard?
FED EX
CLIENT: FedEx
INSIGHT: When you stop and think about it, sending something all the way across the world sounds really, really, really hard.
Based on what you just saw, what was the idea of the campaign?
CLIENT: FedEx
INSIGHT: When you stop and think about it, sending something all the way across the world sounds really, really, really hard.
IDEA: FedEx simplifies an incredibly difficult thing.
How could FedEx have said this on a billboard?
Radio?
Social?
TURBO TAX
CLIENT: Turbo Tax
INSIGHT: People think you have to be a math wizard to do your taxes.
Based on what you just saw, what was the idea of the campaign?
CLIENT: Turbo Tax
INSIGHT: People think you have to be a math wizard to do your taxes.
IDEA: Let’s get geniuses to show normal people that taxes are easier than they think with Turbo Tax.
How could Turbo Tax have said this in print?
Radio?
Social?
SWEDISH TOURISM
CLIENT: The Swedish Tourism Board
INSIGHT: Talking to real people gives you a better sense of a country than a slick tourism board.
Based on what you just saw, what was the idea of the campaign?
CLIENT: The Swedish Tourism Board
INSIGHT: Talking to real people gives you a better sense of a country than a slick tourism board.
IDEA: Let’s make real Swedes the spokespeople for the country of Sweden.
How could Sweden have said this in print?
On a billboard?
On social?
IKEA
CLIENT: IKEA
INSIGHT: Do we have to pee on a stick to find out if we’re pregnant?
CLIENT: IKEA
INSIGHT: Do we have to pee on a stick to find out if we’re pregnant?
IDEA: Let’s turn an ad for a crib into a pregnancy test.
Could IKEA have done this on the radio?
Social?
A billboard?
NO.
Because it’s not a “big idea.”
It’s a good idea.
But not a campaign.
This is a smart print execution that has a little micro-idea within it.
But it’s a one-off because the idea only works in one small way.
DIRECTV
CLIENT: DirecTV
INSIGHT: One bad decision can spiral out of control.
Based on what you just saw, what was the idea of the campaign?
CLIENT: DirecTV
INSIGHT: One small, bad decision can spiral out of control.
IDEA: Your life might unravel if you don’t get DirecTV.
How could DirecTV have said this in print?
On the radio?
On social?
Q&A