The Brief Bros.

61. A conversation with Tim Leake, Chief Marketing and Innovation Officer at RPA.

For the last eight years, Tim Leake has been the Chief Marketing and Innovation Officer at Rubin Postaer and Associates in Santa Monica, CA. He’s brought some astute thinking to RPA. In this episode of The Brief Bros., Henry Gomez and Howard Ibach talk to Tim about the time pressures we all face with producing work and how RPA’s Kick-start sessions address this situation, as well as a counter-intuitive talk he gave at Cannes in 2019 on ugly design.

60. A conversation with author and copywriter Dan Nelken.

Dan Nelken’s new book, A Self-Help Guide For Copywriters: A Resource for Writing Headlines, is a must-read for junior and veteran ad writers alike. Art directors will benefit too. His story is fascinating, and in this episode of The Brief Bros., Henry Gomez and Howard Ibach quiz him about his book’s genesis and his insights on the overlooked value of “thinking” as well as his thoughts on the creative brief. Don’t miss this episode! It’s number 60! Woo-hoo! Henry and I are racking ‘em up!

59. Mick Jagger’s letter to Andy Warhol. It’s not a creative brief.

It’s a famous letter between two iconic 20th century artists: Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones and Andy Warhol. But is it, as some purport, an example of a great creative brief? The letter is an acknowledgement of an assignment. Mick hired Andy to design the album cover for the Stones’s 1969 hits album. In this episode of The Brief Bros., Henry Gomez and Howard Ibach explain why this letter is not only not a good creative brief. It’s not a brief at all. Classics Creative Review: Paco Rabanne print ads from the mid-1980s.

58. A conversation with Kirstin Currie, Head of Marketing at Appliances Connection.

Kirstin Currie has had a long and productive career on the ad agency and client sides of the marketing world, including almost 15 years of marketing leadership for Best Buy in Minneapolis. I met her in 2003 when we worked together on the four loyalty programs for British Airways NA at the now defunct Carlson Marketing Group in the Twin Cities. Today, she is Head of Marketing for Appliances Connection In this episode of The Brief Bros., Henry Gomez and Howard Ibach had an in-depth conversation with Kirstin about the challenges clients face with the creative brief, an aspect of briefing we have not yet explored. Kirstin offers a perspective on briefing from a marketing professional who is committed to writing and delivering concise and inspiring briefs. You don’t want to miss this episode.

57. On the road with Faris Yakob, co-founder of Genius Steals.

Faris Yakob is a writer, thinker, teacher and an internationally recognized advocate for the creative brief. He is also half of Genius Steals with his wife Rosie. Together, they are a nomadic creative and strategic consultancy who travel with world. In this episode of The Brief Bros., Henry Gomez and Howard Ibach caught up with Faris in Mexico City. We had an in-depth conversation about the central role the creative brief plays in executing brand strategy. In the process, we plumbed only a fraction of Faris’s fertile brain. Henry and I decided we’ll have to invite him back someday soon. Be sure to visit the new and improved School of Genius Steals, what they describe as “a digital community for people looking to work smarter not harder.”

56. A conversation with Sean Duffy, CEO of the Duffy Agency in Boston and Sweden.

Sean Duffy, a former copywriter, is an advertising agency founder and CEO. His Duffy Agency serves international brands and his new book, International Brand Strategy: A Guide to Achieving International Brand Growth, is a primer for any brand that hopes to break into foreign markets. In this episode of The Brief Bros., Henry Gomez and Howard Ibach dive into new territory as we quiz Sean about the challenges brands face when they attempt to enter new markets, including from the perspective of creative briefs and briefing. Sean was an early advocate for Howard’s first book, “How To Write An Inspired Creative Brief.”

55. A conversation with Claire Hassid, rule-breaker extraordinaire.

I met Claire Hassid four years ago when I was researching my book, “How To Write A Single-Minded Proposition.” Claire was perhaps my third interview. Her insights into the insights of the SMP gave my book its purpose and direction. In this episode of The Brief Bros., Henry Gomez and I are treated to a conversation with a giant in the field of account planning and strategy. Claire shares her in-the-trenches battles over strategic direction for the brands she worked on and influenced, including Tide and Yoplait. Don’t miss this episode. Claire Hassid is one of a kind.

54. A conversation with George Tannenbaum and a surprise announcement!

Be sure to listen to our entire episode with George Tannenbaum, copywriter, strategic thinker, owner of GeorgeCo. LLC, a Delaware company. He gave us a scoop! Today at the age of…whatever…George is in a place he never expected, but by his own admission, he never would leave. George joins Henry Gomez and Howard Ibach in an in-depth conversation about advertising, writing, thinking and, yes, the creative brief. You don’t want to miss George at his best.

53. A conversation with Richard L. Gant, CEO and Chief Experiential Officer, RL Gant Group

Educator, entrepreneur, agency owner, Richard L. Gant, CEO and Chief Experiential Officer of RL Gant Group, joins us today on The Brief Bros. Richard contributed valuable insights to Howard’s book “How To Write A Single-Minded Proposition.” He shares his thoughts on the proposition and the challenges of writing great briefs. Don’t miss this fascinating and inspiring conversation with one of New Your University’s popular educators. Join Henry Gomez and Howard Ibach every Wednesday for new episodes of The Brief Bros.

52. A conversation with Cameron Day.

Cameron Day, son of the late Guy Day, of Chiat\Day acclaim, joins us today on The Brief Bros. He is the author of a fascinating and resonating guidebook for young creatives who aspire to a career in Adland. It’s called Chew With Your Mind Open: The Advertising Survival Guide. Cameron’s book is a must-read for newbies and veterans alike. It’s filled with advice, anecdotes and laugh-out-loud lessons from a man who has been in both the trenches and the boardrooms. Cameron joins Henry Gomez and Howard Ibach to talk about the industry, creative briefs, getting a start in advertising and more.

51. A conversation with Luke Sullivan.

The author of Hey Whipple, Squeeze This: The Classic Guide To Creating Great Advertising is now in its 6th edition. Its author, Luke Sullivan, joins Henry Gomez and Howard Ibach to talk about the industry, creative briefs, getting a start in advertising and more.

50. A conversation with London ad legend Dave Dye.

Joining us from London, advertising legend and all-around sage and gentleman, Dave Dye shares his wisdom and experience on advertising, brands, the frustrations of the business, creative briefs, and more. Henry Gomez and Howard Ibach kick off Year Two of The Brief Bros.

49. How to avoid the 11th hour veto of a creative brief.

Anyone in the advertising business knows about this inevitable situation: Your brief has been handed off to your creative partner, and then the key stakeholder on the client side finds a reason to object to the brief. The project comes to a standstill. The brief must be reviewed or re-written. How do you avoid this dreaded moment? Henry Gomez and Howard Ibach offer valuable tips on what brief writers can do to prevent the 11th hour creative brief veto. Creative Review: New print from Milk Bone.

48. When to use humor when writing a creative brief.

Humor is a time-tested technique in advertising. But when do you use it in a creative brief? Henry Gomez and Howard Ibach share examples of humor in great briefs and talk about why it works and when it’s relevant. Creative Review: A look at the four-minute short by Chevrolet for its holiday message.