The Brief Bros.

171: Freelance copywriter Ashley Rutstein carved a niche on TikTok

Meet the host of Stuff About Advertising Ashley Rutstein. She's a freelance copywriter, social media verteran, and the star of her own TikTok page where she talks about, well, Stuff About Advertising. And Henry Gomez and I had a fun and enlightening conversation with her.
So many brands want to be on TikTok, but did you know the space is wide open for creatives to show off their wares and talents?
Ashley presents one of her videos and shares with us how she found her way to TikTok. Surprisingly, she a lot of freelance work comes to her from her posts on TikTok.
Are you missing an opportunity? Watch today and find out.
For small group and corporate training in writing inspiring creative briefs, contact Howard Ibach at creativebriefworkshops.com for availability.

170: Can AI measure the emotions advertising creative evokes? Yes, according to DAIVID.

This week Henry Gomez and I introduce you to the founder of DAIVID, Ian Forrester. Ian is the brains behind an AI tool that measures the effectiveness of ad creative by pinpointing which of 39 emotions a piece of creative evokes.
Yeah, we know—another bogus way to test creative, right? Don't be so quick to judge.
Ian demonstrates for us why this tool is different. And, intriguingly, why it can help you review and revise your brief based on its results. When creatives complain about testing that kills creative, Ian argues that his AI tool points the way at giving better direction, not solutions.
Are you ready to have your mind changed? Watch today's episode.
For small group and corporate training in writing inspiring creative briefs, contact Howard Ibach at creativebriefworkshops.com for availability.
 

169: The Howard Gossage Show with Steve Harrison and Dave Dye.

Two advertising industry giants join us today to talk about their new book, The Howard Gossage Show. Both Steve Harrison and Dave Dye have talked to us before. But today they arrive together as co-authors of a book as big as its subject matter. And a necessary teaching tool for all of us in the ad game.
Sitting in for the traveling Henry Gomez, our friend David Moore matches his enclyclopedic knowledge of the industry with Dave Dye's. And our conversation covers Howard Gossage, brand history, where we have lost our way as brand guardians, and more.
Steve and Dave are lightning rods for a topic that should not be controversial: do we still care about selling products? Don't miss this episode.
For small group and corporate training in writing inspiring creative briefs, contact Howard Ibach at creativebriefworkshops.com for availability.
 

168: Meet your new favorite intern.

You need chutzpah to land an internship in our industry. Spell it any way you like, you gotta get the decision-maker's attention. Which is why Henry Gomez and I are so delighted to introduce you to Kristina Olsen Pinjusic, a.k.a. "The Kristina," your new favorite intern. She displayed enviable intrepidity and gutsiness and used LinkedIn to announce her intentions. And it blew up her feed. Kristina is a graduate student at CCNY's Branding and Integrated Communications program, and she's here to tell you her amazing story.
For small group and corporate training in writing inspiring creative briefs, contact Howard Ibach at creativebriefworkshops.com for availability.
 

167: Meet Todd Turner, creator of laugh-out-loud creative training tool, Wash-A-Pig.

Todd Turner is a talented graphic designer who's carved out a fun niche in Out of Home. Lately, he's formed a partnership with Richard Molinaro called Up to Something in North Carolina. Todd and Richard create unforgettable OOH for brands, agencies and media companies. But it's Todd's side gig that grabbed our attention. Henry Gomez and I talked to Todd about his crazy fun and powerfully effective training tool called...Wash-a-Pig. What's a graphic designer doing concocting a cool concepting tool for copywriters?
Well, we're glad you asked. Because Todd shared his story in this week's episode. You'll hoot and spit out your milk 'cause it's a provative device to rev up your creative juices. And Todd tells us how it all got started. Don't miss this fun conversation.
For small group and corporate training in writing inspiring creative briefs, contact Howard Ibach at creativebriefworkshops.com for availability.

166: These women routinely save the day.

No Single Individual is a unique business model. It is a company of woment strategists who work for legacy shops like Deutsch NY, FCB NY and TBWA\Chiat Day LA.
Founded by Christine Olivas in 2021, No Single Individual is an "all-freelance firm [that] provides ancillary strategy and account teams to agencies across the globe, from the industry’s biggest names to hyper-local creative shops," according to its LinkedIn profile. In other words, when agencies struggle with impossible assignments, Christine and her colleagues swoop in as last-minute heroes.
Henry Gomez and I also met Cynthia Abad-Mancheno, one of Christine's colleagues. And we had an in-depth conversation about how they started, the nature of their work, and their thoughts on strategy and the industry.
For small group and corporate training in writing inspiring creative briefs, contact Howard Ibach at creativebriefworkshops.com for availability.
 

165: Ten traits of a strategist.

My co-host Henry Gomez stays connected with other strategtists, especially on LinkedIn. He received an email recently from Mark Pollard, author of Strategy Is Your Words, and a well-known and respected strategist and strategy coach. Mark had compiled a list of the top ten traits he thought all strategists shared. My buddy Henry saw a similarity between these ten traits and some things he and I talked about on our first episode of The Brief Bros. So Henry and I thought this would be a great topic for a "Nuts 'n Bolts" episode, which we haven't featured in quite a while. We each chose two of Mark's ten traits and shared our thoughts. Tune in. You'll love this one.
For small group and corporate training in writing inspiring creative briefs, contact Howard Ibach at creativebriefworkshops.com for availability.
 

164: Elizabeth Gordon, GS&P's newest young and restless account manager.

Henry Gomez and I relish every chance we get to feature a young advertising talent who is already shaking things up. This week we continue our series of interviews with recent grads of US and UK advertising programs. Allow us to introduce you to Elizabeth Gordon. Elizabeth is a 2023 grad of the U of Minn's Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communications. And she came recommended to us by our friend and occasional substitute co-host, Mark Jenson, senior lecturer at Hubbard.
Elizabeth landed her gig at Goodby Silverstein & Partners in September 2023 as an account coordinator. Last month, six months on the job, she was promoted to assistant account manager. She puts the lie to those in our profession who lament the decline of our industry. And if you have any doubts, watch this episode.
For small group and corporate training in writing inspiring creative briefs, contact Howard Ibach at creativebriefworkshops.com for availability.
 

163: Are you creative director material?

Most creatives aspire to become creative director one day. And most creatives believe they have the chops to lead a creative department. But making the leap from art director or copywriter into a leadership role takes more than a promotion. Our guest this week is an old friend, TJ Bennett, owner and creative director at The Pudding Factory. He's back to talk about his coaching practice to help aspiring creatives make that leap to creative directorship successfully and with confidence. Henry Gomez and I devote the entire episode to TJ's experience and philosophy. If becoming a CD is your ambition, you want to meet and talk to TJ. So don't miss this episode.
For small group and corporate training in writing inspiring creative briefs, contact Howard Ibach at creativebriefworkshops.com for availability.

162: Master storyteller Neal Foard, Part 2

Join Henry Gomez and me for Part 2 of our conversation with a master of the artform, Neal Foard. He tells us more about his new online, self-directed tutorials at Storyfire to help you practice and polish your own stories. So sit back, grab a bowl of popcorn and take it all in. This is good, old-fashioned entertainment.
For small group and corporate training in writing inspiring creative briefs, contact Howard Ibach at creativebriefworkshops.com for availability.

161: Neal Foard, master storyteller, Part 1

For 30-odd years, Neal Foard was an advertising copywriter and creative director, working on major brands like Toyota. Then he morphed into what I call the Garrisoin Keillor of the Internet. He's a storyteller extraordinare, whose mellifluous voice is part velvet fog, part maple syrup. With thousands of presentations under his belt, Neal stands in front of a black screen and shares his life experiences every week, with a single goal in mind: remind us that life is so much easier when people like you (his words, not mine).
This week Henry Gomez and I are proud to give him our platform not once, but twice, so that he can tell us about himself, his beginnings and his new project called Storyfire. I took this course and loved every second—and learned plenty. Do yourself a favor and watch this week and next and then sign up for his self-directed course.
For small group and corporate training in writing inspiring creative briefs, contact Howard Ibach at creativebriefworkshops.com for availability.

160: An industry training expert shares his insights.

Mark Liebert leads the Marketing Training & Development Center at the ANA. His team of dedicated professionals connect subject-matter experts with ANA members to enhance their marketing and advertising skills. Since the beginning of our podcast, Henry Gomez and I have revisited the subject of training many times. So today, we meet an experienced trainer in his own right, and also an exceptional leader with the largest client-side brand trade group on the planet. If anyone can shed light on the state of our industry's training, Mark is our man.
For small group and corporate training in writing inspiring creative briefs, contact Howard Ibach at creativebriefworkshops.com for availability.

159: Should a brief ask "What is the strategy"?

It seems like an obvious question: What is the strategy? But even asking it opens a can of worms. What do you mean by "strategy"? Then you can ask, why do so few briefs ask this question? This week, Henry Gomez and I tackle the conundrum of what role strategy plays in writing a creative brief and whether the question belongs on the brief.
For one-on-one, small group and corporate training in writing inspiring creative briefs, contact Howard Ibach at creativebriefworkshops.com for availability.

158: Let's get real about AI.

Henry Gomez and I decided to take a breather and talk about AI. No panic. No exaggeration. No gloom and doom. Just the real stuff. It's here and it ain't goin' away. What's its role in advertising creative? In the creative brief? This is only the first of what we both think will be many conversations. But after insightful chats with two guests, Tim Brunelle and Sherry Horowitz, both experts in AI, we needed to take stock. Let us know what you think.
For small group and corporate training in writing inspiring creative briefs, contact Howard Ibach at creativebriefworkshops.com for availability.