The arrogance of the advertising creative shines through when everyone else is square and we are not. When we think that the account executives fall short, or that the brand manager has no idea what needs to be done. It’s arrogance when we jump into creative hair-splitting, and we haven’t done our homework, we haven’t read the brief, the order or the research brief, the required deliverables or the communication imperatives.
The arrogance of the advertising creative stands out at the precise moment when he assumes that he does not have to move from his laptop or his G5 to start an idea, ignoring that the most important source of inspiration is on the street, on the floor, in the store. He does not appreciate the hunting lion in the zoo, but in the jungle of truth, life and reality. Arrogant is the creative who assumes that no one reads, and therefore, a headline is enough, or that any extra word is enough.
Too often the creative does not write more, for the simple reason that he does not know enough about his products, brands or services. It is arrogant then when he writes without knowing enough, and assumes that with a few images or words he can envelop and seduce. It is arrogance to ask little, do little research, consult little, know little and still assume that you don’t need it to propose an idea, a solution or recommendation. It is arrogance to think that my idea is better, that ours is, and that others are not at all.
The arrogance of the creative person divides and generally omits the incalculable contribution that comes from sensitive and creative people from other areas of our activity. It is the arrogance of the creative that I wanted to question today, to weigh options and reflect that, as talented and extraordinary, as essential and brilliant, advertising creatives cannot allow arrogance to lead them to basic and easily avoidable mistakes.
A friend told me that humility is the vital ingredient to learn, and therefore, the first step to take a project and start a successful creative process, possibly involves emptying the cup of our tea, to take the time to fill it again with information, perception, thought, feeling, reasons and emotions of that brand, that project, that order. In Incae one day we were recommended to follow the guide of nature, for then, not easy at all, to listen twice as much and speak half as much. In the context of any team dynamic, nothing better than to ask, ask and ask. And of course, listen. And then, get creative.
Arrogance, however, is well defined when someone dares to write about arrogance. As in this case. However, the truth is that we have to transform the arrogance of the creative, to learn more from the brands, from their competitors, to learn from the values of the client and his company, from his spirit and own personality. We cannot separate ourselves from the beginning and start of a brand, and assume that we can do it, without knowing.