The Big Idea Recognition Tool
Posted by David Smith on Friday, March 30, 2012 · 1 Comment
After an exhaustive search an agency that will remain nameless selected me to be their Executive Creative Director. I was told the primary reason they wanted to hire me was my “impressive track record of creating Big Ideas”. Undeterred by some initial reservations, I took the job and got right to work.
In less than six months, the ideas coming out of the agency became noticeably better. Clients were thrilled, the creative department was re-energized and there was a general good buzz around the agency. Despite all this success, my methodology of presenting only one idea to clients became an issue. During our weekly leadership meeting, the CEO asked me to explain how I was able to determine which idea out of multiple ideas was the best one.
I thought for a moment and answered her with this question. “Out of all the men out there, how did you know your husband was the one?”
“I just knew,” she replied.
“Ahh,” I said, “It’s the same with Big Ideas. I just know.”
My fuzzy-wuzzy creative director answer wasn’t the one her Spock-like brain was looking for.
“Well that’s great for you,” she said, “but we (meaning herself and the other Vulcans on the agency’s leadership team) need a tool to help us recognize Big Ideas too. I want you to create a Big Idea Recognition Tool for us.”
Notwithstanding the ridiculousness of her request, I agreed to give her a Big Idea Recognition Tool.
“Meet me in my office at 3 tomorrow and I’ll present it to you,” I said.
The next day she marched into my office like a German commuter train – right on time. With my back to her, I waited a couple of seconds for dramatic effect and then suddenly spun around.
“How do you do,” I said reaching out to shake her hand. And then, with impeccable timing, I delivered the obvious punch line. “I’m your Big Idea Recognition Tool.”
Even though I made my point and the creative department loved it, I’m not really proud of how I handled the situation. As the ECD I had every right to assert my authority as the ultimate curator of the agency’s ideas, I just didn’t go about it the right way. If someone wants to know how an agency’s best ideas are selected, “I just know” doesn’t cut it. The truth is, my answer and antics were pretty arrogant. They made me look more like a tool than a Big idea Recognition Tool.
Since then, I’ve had a lot of time to reflect on what really makes an idea a Big Idea. How Immortology determines whether an idea is a big one or not is much more than a hunch or a feeling. It’s a 20-point checklist.
You just might have yourself a Big Idea if:
- It still feels like a big idea 24 hours later.
- Your customers will find it impossible to ignore.
- There’s little chance it will be forgotten.
If you’re interested in the other 17, click here and I’ll be happy to send you Immortology’s Big Idea Checklist.
David Smith is an integrated creative director with over 20 years of experience developing multi-channel branding campaigns for B2C and B2B clients in a wide range of industries. Before founding Immortology, David was the Executive Creative Director of Carton Donofrio Partners in Baltimore where he helped the 47-year-old agency retool its creative and strategic offerings. Previous to Carton Donofrio Partners, he was co-founder, CCO and EVP of The Republik, one of the first true performance-based agencies and Web 2.0 pioneers. His on and offline work for the agency has been the subject of dozens of articles, broadcasts and case studies.
Brandweek named his campaign for Palladium Shoes one of its 12 Best Guerrilla Campaigns of The Year in 2006. Not bad, considering, Palladium had a microscopic budget compared to the other brands recognized. His contagious videos for Triumph Boats have been seen by millions of people around the world and have been covered by The New York Times, Inside Edition, and truTV. In a seven-page feature on Triumph’s advertising, Boating Magazine said, “Triumph makes the best commercials in boating.” Time wrote a feature story on his branding campaign for Fayetteville, NC and most recently his online movement, stoptheadness.org, won the 4A’s most transformative idea of the year for Carton Donofrio Partners.
Unlike his name, David Smith’s career has been anything but ordinary. During his 20+ years as a copywriter and creative director, he’s had the pleasure (and pain) of working with celebrities like Bruce Willis, James Brown, Robin Leach, Gary Coleman, Tom Jones and an unruly 1,500 lb. grizzly bear named Koda. Before founding The Republik, David was Group Creative Director, Senior Partner at J. Walter Thompson’s flagship office in NY. While there, he won the coveted Bermuda Department of Tourism account, brought Lipton Brisk back from the dead and launched Smirnoff Ice, the most successful new product introduction in United Distillers and Vintners’ history.
At legendary agencies Ammirati & Puris and BBDO, he created groundbreaking and award-winning work for Nikon, Pepsi, Aetna, RCA and Frito-Lay. The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, LA Times, Adweek and Ad Age have all written articles about his ads. Time called his launch campaign for RCA’s Digital Satellite System, the most effective new product launch of 1995. His TV spots have been featured stories on Entertainment Tonight, Access Hollywood, and CNN/FN. His website concepts have been selected multiple times by Communication Arts as their Web Picks of the Week. From Gold Clios to a One Show Pencil, David has won virtually every creative award the industry offers. The Museum of Modern Art included one of his Lipton Brisk commercials in its permanent collection, Graphic Design USA selected him as one of their “people to watch in 2003” and he recently judged the One Show’s 2011 international radio competition.
David lives in Chapel Hill, NC with his wife Zuzana and their two children, Isabella and J. Allen.
I wish I could have seen this. As it would have made my day.