The Brief Bros.

157: A manifesto for Avis, or is it?

What is a manifesto? Is it a creative brief? Or like a creative brief? And how does a so-called "manifesto" help us understand a brand? These are some of the questions Henry Gomez and I discuss today on The Brief Bros. We review and dissect one of seventeen brand manifestos, this one for Avis, posted on LinkedIn recently by Lonnie Elliot.
 

156: Recent grads prove young people embrace our industry.

Who says the advertising industry can't attract ambitious young talent? Not our guests this week on The Brief Bros. We welcome Anna Clayden and Hope Whitehead, art director and copywriter respectively. They teamed up while studying at London's premier School of Communication Arts. They join Henry Gomez and me to shed bright light on the rigors of SCA and where it has led them. And they share a special announcement as well—their first full-time gig at a London agency!
For small group and corporate training in writing inspiring creative briefs, contact Howard Ibach at https://creativebriefworkshops.com for availability.

155: Strategy trainer Julian Cole offers surprises on writing briefs.

Writing a great brief depends on more than great writing. Agency vet and Strategy Finishing School founder Julian Cole joins Henry Gomez and me in an insider's look at briefs. You'll learn something new after this week's episode of The Brief Bros. For example, did you know that an "artist" and a "detective" creative director respond differently to the same brief? This is only one insight Julian shares in our discussion. We only scratched the surface with Julian, whose work with agencies around the globe is in demand. And we promise to bring him back to continue our conversation.

154: An insider's look at AI.

Love it or hate it, AI is here to stay. But like all new toys, what we don't understand tends to scare us. So this week, The Brief Bros. invited Sherry Horowitz, the self-described AI Conjurer, to talk about the intricacies of creating imagery with AI using language prompts. Her deep knowledge revealed how hard it is to use AI to its fullest. And why AI is also so powerful. There is much more to learn, but Sherry shed light on possibilities. This is a conversation you cannot miss.

153: Conflict helps us overcome creative hurdles.

We welcome the creative chairman of BBDO/Singapore, Tay Guan Hin, to this week's episode of The Brief Bros. Henry Gomez and I asked Guan about his career in art and graphic design. Guan revealed a common thread among many creatives: his parents had other plans for him. But his passions led him to advertising anyway. His new book Collide: Embracing Conflict to Boost Creativity, demonstrates how thirty years in advertising gave him a unique insight on creativity. And he shows readers how to use conflict to unleash more powerful ideas for brands.

152: Marketing brief vs creative brief

This week, Henry Gomez and I discuss a video posted by Julian Cole, a link to which we included below. He explains the differences between a marketing and a creative brief. Julian is a noted strategist, teacher and mentor to young strategists. And we have invited him to be a guest on The Brief Bros in the coming weeks. Henry and I dissect and expand on his thinking. The training I offer on brief writing focuses primarily on marketers. Henry's ad agency work focuses on the needs of his creatives. So we come to these documents with unique and differing perspectives. And you'll enjoy our lively discussion.
Julian Cole on Marketing versus Creative Brief video.
For training in writing inspiring creative briefs, contact Howard Ibach at creativebriefworkshops.com for availability.

151: Ben Levy shows us how to present creative like a pro, Part 2

In Part 2 of our conversation with Ben Levy, creative director and presentation coach at SellItGreat.com, Henry Gomez and I ask Ben about "nuts 'n bolts" problems all presenters face. This is a fascinating and enlightening conversation you don't want to miss.
For one-on-one, small group and corporate training in writing inspiring creative briefs, contact Howard Ibach at creativebriefworkshops.com for availability.

150: Ben Levy shows us how to present creative like a pro.

Presentation Coach Ben Levy has made just about every mistake you can imagine as a presenter of creative work. And he'll show you how you can avoid them in his training on creative presentations. This week on The Brief Bros., Ben is our guest in a two-part episode. He is the founder and Head Coach at SellItGreat.com, and he shares his experience, his research and his practical advice to help creatives overcome hurdles that get in the way of selling the work they believe in. Part 2 next week.
For one-on-one, small group and corporate training in writing inspiring creative briefs, contact Howard Ibach at https://creativebriefworkshops.com for availability.

149: Write better creative briefs with Howard’s workshops.

From the "Shameless Commerce Division" of The Brief Bros. (no apologies to Car Talk's Click & Clack), today Henry Gomez quizzes me about my creative brief workshops, my promise to attendees who want to learn how to write better briefs, my teaching philosophy and how I got started. You can get the details at creativebriefworkshops.com. Batteries not included, no assembly required, not available in stores.
For one-on-one, small group and corporate training in writing inspiring creative briefs, contact Howard Ibach at https://creativebriefworkshops.com for availability.

148: The best of The Brief Bros. in 2023.

As our first episode of the New Year, Henry Gomez and I review 2023 and talk about what stood out for us on The Brief Bros. Amazingly enough, Henry and I wrapped up our third year together! And we still like each other! Enjoy this conversation as we share our thoughts on what mattered most in our on-going conversation about briefs, briefing and advertising. Till next time! Bye-bye!
For one-on-one, small group and corporate training in writing inspiring creative briefs, contact Howard Ibach at creativebriefworkshops.com for availability. 

147: Tim Brunelle builds a creative brief coach with ChatGPT

This week on The Brief Bros. Henry Gomez and I review and discuss a tool created by a friend and past guest, Tim Brunelle, called the Creative Brief Coach. ChatGPT is everywhere, causing either havoc or joy depending on your point of view. Tim's tool is a worthy topic because he laid out the details of its development, and gave Henry and me an argument to follow and debate. Join us as we dissect Tim's contributions. 
For one-on-one, small group and corporate training in writing inspiring creative briefs, contact Howard Ibach at creativebriefworkshops.com for availability. 

146: Reviewing a creative brief for Tango carbonated soft drink.

Henry Gomez and I review an undated creative brief for the UK's famous soft drink Tango, ad agency unknown (if you're privy to the info, please share in the comments section). I featured this brief in my first book on the creative brief, and I included it in my rotating list of briefs for my creative brief workshops, but I have not used it in many years. Henry and I share our thoughts and I see new opportunities for it as a training tool. 
For one-on-one, small group and corporate training in writing inspiring creative briefs, contact Howard Ibach at creativebriefworkshops.com for availability. 

145: Reviewing a creative brief for the BBC’s coverage of the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens

In our ongoing series, Henry Gomez and I review a creative brief written by a London-based agency for its client, BBC. The brief was written to create a new campaign to promote the BBC's on-air coverage of the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. We even have creative so you can ask yourself if the work answers the brief. For one-on-one, small group and corporate training in writing inspiring creative briefs, contact Howard Ibach at creativebriefworkshops.com for availability. 

144: A conversation with Gabi Kinney, senior strategist at Broadhead in Minneapolis

Gabi Kinney joins Henry Gomez and me this week in a continuation of our series on young talent in our industry. Gabi is a recent grad of the Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communications at the U of Minnesota, a familiar name to anyone who follow The Brief Bros. This young woman is blazing a powerful path for herself at Broadhead and we delight in quizzing her about her career trajectory. If you want to hear some insightful and astute advice on managing your career, don't miss this conversation.