The Brief Bros.

47. New Year’s Creative Brief Resolutions.

Henry Gomez and Howard Ibach share a few resolutions to help creative brief writers improve their skills in 2022. Shout-outs to our friends Paul Feldwick and Matt Davies and Pieter-Paul von Weiler. Creative Review: Henry and I return to the Heinz OOH work we presented two weeks ago from Rethink Canada with results from our very unscientific research. Happy New Year! See you in 2022!

46. Back to creative brief basics.

Inspired by our fellow creative brief aficionado Faris Yacob, Henry Gomez and Howard Ibach discuss two brief basics: designing the creative brief, and when it might make sense to ignore the brief template. Creative Review: We get nostalgic a couple days before Christmas and discuss two classic holiday spots by John Lewis, the venerable British retailer. The first is from 2011 and the second is from 2014.

45. Questions about the single-minded proposition.

A Brief Bros. fan and student at London’s School of Communication Arts, Terry Eeles, sent us four challenging questions about the single-minded proposition. Henry Gomez and Howard Ibach plunged in where angels fear to tread. Creative Review: New OOH for a major brand. But we’re keeping the brand hidden because we want you to answer a question: Did you figure out the brand by looking at the creative? The brand thinks you’ll figure it out. Henry agrees. I disagree. Agency: Rethink Canada.

44. Special guest Marc Lewis, dean of the School of Communication Arts London.

Marc Lewis is a teaching dynamo: passionate, experienced, committed. He leads an impressive staff of industry teachers in the most awarded and saluted school for advertising creatives on the planet. Henry Gomez and Howard Ibach welcome Marc to The Brief Bros. We talk advertising, creative, single-minded proposition, selling, the Industry. It's a lively conversation.

43. What’s the first question on your creative brief?

This week's episode of the Brief Bros. returns to basics: What does your creative brief ask first? Why is this first question so important? Henry Gomez and Howard Ibach offer their ideas and rationale. Creative review: New TV spot from Fisher Price toys by Weiden + Kennedy.

42. Special guest Bob Hoffman, the Ad Contrarian, talks about briefs and advertising.

He tells it like it is and pulls no punches. Bob Hoffman, the Ad Contrarian blogger, former agency CEO, author of five books on advertising and a regular essayist on LinkedIn, joins Henry Gomez and Howard Ibach on The Brief Bros. to share his laser-sharp thinking about "The Three-Word Brief" and other hot-button advertising issues. Check out his latest book, Advertising for Skeptics. Highly recommended!

41. The Better Briefs Project with Matt Davies and Pieter-Paul von Weiler.

Approximately US$80 billion in marketing spend is wasted each year due to poor briefs. That's one-third of the marketing spend in the US. The BetterBriefs Project surveyed marketers and creative agencies in the US, UK, and Australia and uncovered frightening gaps between what marketers think about their briefs to agencies, and what agencies think about those briefs. Henry Gomez and Howard Ibach talk to Matt and Pieter-Paul about their findings, why this news is important and what can be done to improve briefs. Download the free report.

40. A salute to the great Cliff Freeman.

Cliff Freeman passed in September, but Henry Gomez and Howard Ibach offer up this belated remembrance of the fertile brain of this ad legend. Today's episode doubles as a creative review, and Howard and Henry talk about spots by Freeman for Wendy's and Almond Joy and Mounds candy bars.

39. Special guest Gregg Benedikt talks about his ”Oh, brilliant advertising, how I miss you so.”

The originator of LinkedIn's wildly popular "Oh, brilliant advertising, how I miss you so," Gregg Benedikt, joins Henry Gomez and Howard Ibach on The Brief Bros. to talk about his love of advertising and what he thinks about the state of advertising creative. Join us!

38. Special guest Charles Wigley talks about planning, creativity, and his BBH Labs blog post.

The great and powerful strategist Charles Wigley joins Howard Ibach and Henry Gomez to talk about briefs, creativity, advertising and his "Chaz's 100 things a planner should know" blog for BBH Labs.

37. Dave Trott on advertising’s Golden Age.

Henry Gomez and Howard Ibach react to the brilliant and always insightful author and creative director Dave Trott, who shares his wisdom in a 40 minute virtual presentation he made in August 2021.
Creative review: New :15 TV spot for Hefty.

36. What can ad agencies learn from Pixar Animation?

Ed Catmull's 2014 book, "Creativity, Inc: Overcoming The Unseen Forces That Stand In The Way Of True Inspiration" offers a few valuable lessons for ad professionals and ad agencies. Henry Gomez and Howard Ibach address three ideas from Catmull's book and take them out for a spin.
Creative review: Duluth Trading TV for Buck Naked Underwear. Agency: Planet Propaganda, Madison, WI.

35. Parallels between screen writing and brief writing.

A great, inspiring creative brief is by definition a great, inspiring story. And every story requires the writer to follow specific rules. In today's episode, Henry Gomez and Howard Ibach share insights from Glenn Gers about writing for the movies. The parallels are remarkable, and serve as a fresh way to frame the questions you ask when you write a creative brief.
Creative Review Classics: Spicy Meatballs for Alka-Seltzer by DDB from the 1960s.

34. Chaz’s 100 Things A Planner Should Know, Part 2

Henry Gomez and Howard Ibach return to Chaz Wigley's wisdom-filled blog post to examine and share more of his thinking about advertising, strategy, and brands. We only scratched the surface. Henry referenced a speech by Jeanie Caggiano, EVP/Executive Creative Director/Leo Burnett, worth reading.
Creative Review: New TV from Avanti West Coast by Adam&Eve/DDB.