Hey, you know that hilarious ad you just saw on TV, the one with the talking platypus? I had nothing to do with that. So why would you want to read this short, informative guide for creating ad-like objects? You wouldn't. But I wrote it, so here it is.

BE CREATIVE

As a creative, you’re expected to come up with original ideas. But originality isn’t the only thing you should be striving for. You’ve got a job to do, and that job is to sell. Sell a product. Sell an experience. Sell an idea. This means not just thinking about what would be cool for your book, but what would be cool, and memorable, and smart for the brand.

BE FOCUSED

Think about the brand. No, really. Think about it. A lot of people worked their asses off creating that brand. Are your ideas reinforcing it? Or are they damaging it to suit your own needs? If your answer is the ladder, you need to reconsider your career goals, and possibly hire a proofreader (it’s “latter”).

BE INSIGHTFUL

You know what makes an ad really good? It’s not just incredible special effects or hilarious dialogue. It’s a great insight. Don’t just accept the one provided to you. Do the research. Put yourself in the mind of the consumer—not the client. Or to put it another way, ask yourself “Why should I give a shit?” If your ideas don’t answer that question, then you don’t have any ideas.

​BE ENGAGING

It’s 2022. People are busy. And impatient. They also have a little button on their remote that lets them skip past your million-dollar spot in a matter of seconds. Do whatever you can to grab their attention—and hold it. More importantly, make sure they don’t regret giving you their time. Because if they do, they aren’t going to give it to you again.

BE PERSISTENT

Think your idea is so brilliant that nothing could make it better? You’re wrong. It can always be better. Always. Maybe the copy could be tighter. Maybe the edit could be stronger. Maybe the mix could be more balanced. Or maybe, just maybe, you should consider removing a few “maybes” from that one paragraph.

BE SUPPORTIVE

This subhead probably should have just said “DON'T BE A DICK,” but I've kind of committed to this “Be Blank” theme, and there's no reason to switch things up now. The point is—and yes, there is a point—when you're concepting with your partner, be open to new ideas. Absurd ideas. Stupid ideas. Ideas that don't have a chance in hell of selling. Because they might lead to better ideas, and hell isn't the only place to sell things.

AND ABOVE ALL ELSE, BE PATIENT

No one said this was gonna be easy. And if they did, they lied. Creative Directors are going to hate a lot of ideas you love. Clients will want yet another round. And the free cereal bar in the main kitchen is certain to run out of everything but 100% Bran Flakes. It’s the nature of the biz. So, suck it up, and choke down those bran flakes. You can’t expect Fruit Loops every day.*

* This seems like it might be some kind of weird metaphor. But I’m just a big fan of sugary cereals. My cereals of choice, in order of preference, are: Fruit Loops, Trix, Count Chocula, Boo Berry, Golden Grahams and Oreo O’s.**

** This is a lie. I’ve never even tried Oreo O’s. The only cereal I actually consume is plain oatmeal—every morning.***

*** OK, technically not every morning.