HOW I CREATE ADVERTISING

TWO EXPLORATIONS OF THE CREATIVE PROCESS

GAVIN BARRETT, PARTNER, CREATIVE DIRECTOR, IDEAWALLAH,
RAO, BARRETT AND WELSH.

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ONE:

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THE BRIEFING IS AS IMPORTANT AS THE BRIEF.
SOME OF MY BEST IDEAS HAVE BEGUN AT BRIEFING
SESSIONS, OFTEN ENOUGH, WITH THE CLIENT
DELIVERING THE BRIEF.

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I IGNORE THE BRIEF. I FORGET ABOUT THE
ASSIGNMENT, SHUFFLE IT TO THE BACK OF MY MIND,
TO THE SUBCONSCIOUS, THE PART THAT FRIGHTENS
MY THERAPIST EVERY TIME SHE SEES IT.

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THEN WHEN IT’S RIPE (YOU CAN SMELL IT),
I START WORKING. I READ UP ON THE PRODUCT, THE
CATEGORY, THE COMPETITION. I START WRITING.
DOODLING. SCRIBBLING.

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ABOUT THREE DAYS LATER, MY ART DIRECTOR AND I
MEET. AT A PUB OF COURSE. WE DRINK, WE EAT, WE
COMPARE NOTES. WE HATE EACH OTHER’S IDEAS.
EVERYTHING IS DISCARDED. NOTHING WORKS. THE
BRIEF IS BANKRUPT OF INSIGHT. THE PRODUCT IS
BEREFT OF ANY MERIT. THE BARGIRLS ARE LEERING
AT US BECAUSE THEY CAN SMELL OUR FEAR. WE
ARE IN A STATE OF PANIC. OUR PRESENTATION IS
TWO DAYS AWAY.

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I RETURN HOME. I AM SLEEPLESS. MY ART
DIRECTOR AND I EMAIL EACH OTHER IDEAS IN THE
DEAD OF NIGHT. IN THE MORNING WE MEET FOR A
COFFEE TO DISCUSS THE NEW STUFF WE’VE GOT. WE
BRAINSTORM. A HOMELESS MAN INTERRUPTS US
AND BREAKS OUR CHAIN OF THOUGHT. WE LOSE
THE BEST IDEA WE’D HAD TILL THEN. WE START
AGAIN.

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WE CRACK IT. IT’S BRILLIANT. NO ONE HAS EVER
DONE ANYTHING LIKE IT. NOT IN THE CATEGORY.
NOT IN THE COUNTRY. NOT IN THE WORLD. (WE
CHECK). WE ARE SO RELIEVED WE MOVE FROM THE
COFFEE SHOP TO THE PUB TO CELEBRATE. WHEN WE
STUMBLE OUT, WE REALIZE WE ONLY HAVE 18
HOURS LEFT BEFORE WE PRESENT.

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I WRITE REAMS. MY ART DIRECTOR SCRIBBLES
PAGES OF ROUGH LAYOUTS. WE SNAP AT OUR STAFF.
WE FORGET TO EAT LUNCH. WE FORGET TO EAT
DINNER. AT 2 AM WE SURVEY THE WRECKAGE. WE
HAVE TWO RADIO SPOTS. A TV SPOT. THREE
MAGAZINE ADS. FOUR TRANSIT SHELTER POSTERS.
A MAILER. AN FSI. A GUERILLA MARKETING STUNT.

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OUR “SUIT” HAS STAYED WITH US. JUST SO HE CAN
CHECK EVERYTHING. HE PERFORMS USEFUL
FUNCTIONS LIKE ORDERING PIZZA. AND
PROOFREADING. AND ASKING IF WE’RE DONE.
EVERY FIVE MINUTES. IF ANYTHING GOES WRONG
NOW IT’S HIS FAULT.

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EARLY IN THE MORNING (9 AM FOR ME), WE
PRESENT. IT’S A HIT. THE CLIENT LOVES IT.
CUT TO A MONTH LATER AT THE LAUNCH PARTY.
BILL GATES/PHIL KNIGHT/INSERT-BIG-NAME-HERE
HIMSELF THANKS US. BUT WE DON’T NOTICE. WE’RE
IN A PANIC. WE HAVE ANOTHER BRIEF AND A NEW
PRESENTATION TO MAKE AT 9AM THE NEXT DAY.
AND WE DON’T HAVE AN IDEA. YET.

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SO WHAT JUST HAPPENED? TO SUM UP:
TAKE THE BRIEF (PLEASE):
LIVE WITH IT, LOVE IT, IGNORE IT.
IDEATE: HANG LOOSE, DON’T TIGHTEN UP, LET THE
IDEAS COME. CRITIQUE AND COMPARE WITH THE
BEST IN THE CATEGORY AND IN THE WORLD.
EXPAND THE IDEA. PRESENT IT IF IT DOESN’T BURST
UPON EXPANSION.

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TWO:

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 WHAT IS A GREAT IDEA/AD/POEM/?
IT SPILLS BLOOD. IT MAKES HUMAN SACRIFICES.
IT SMELLS OF SWEAT.
IT IS ORGANIC, IT HAS BALLS AND TEETH.
IT SAYS “FUCK YOU” TO CONVENTIONS.
IT IS YOUR BRAIN TELLING YOUR EGO TO GO FUCK ITSELF.
IT SAYS “FUCK YOU” TO THE STRATEGY AND THEN
GOES AHEAD AND MAKES BABIES WITH IT.
IT IS NOT MASTURBATION. IT IS SEX.
IT MAKES YOU WANT TO SMOKE A CIGARETTE AFTERWARDS.
IT IS COFFEE RINGS. IT IS SOILED SHEETS.
IT IS A CIGARETTE BURN.
IT IS FIRE AT THE EDGES OF THE BRAIN.
IT IS STRETCH-MARKS ON THE SOUL.
IT IS DESPAIR, RAGE, ADRENALIN.
IT IS FINGERNAILS AND BONE.
IT IS A CHILD LAUGHING LIKE CRAZY
IT IS VOODOO.
IT IS ITSELF.

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 WHAT IS A GREAT IDEA/AD/POEM/?
IT IS A IT SPILLS BLOOD. IT MAKES HUMAN SACRIFICES.
IT SMELLS OF SWEAT.
IT IS ORGANIC, IT HAS BALLS AND TEETH.
IT SAYS “FUCK YOU” TO CONVENTIONS.
FINGER IT IS YOUR BRAIN TELLING YOUR EGO TO GO FUCK ITSELF.
IT SAYS “FUCK YOU” TO THE STRATEGY AND THEN
GOES AHEAD AND MAKES BABIES WITH IT.
THRUST IT IS NOT MASTURBATION. IT IS SEX.
IT MAKES YOU WANT TO SMOKE A CIGARETTE AFTERWARDS.
IT IS COFFEE RINGS. IT IS SOILED SHEETS.
IN THE FACE IT IS A CIGARETTE BURN.
IT IS FIRE AT THE EDGES OF THE BRAIN.
IT IS STRETCH-MARKS ON THE SOUL.
OF THE IT IS DESPAIR, RAGE, ADRENALIN.
IT IS FINGERNAILS AND BONE.
IT IS A CHILD LAUGHING LIKE CRAZY

TIMID. IT IS VOODOO.
IT IS ITSELF.

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THANK YOU.
FROM A WORKSHOP PRESENTATION MADE BY GAVIN BARRETT
TO THE CANADIAN MARKETER’S ASSOCIATION.

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GAVIN BARRETT, CREATIVE DIRECTOR, PARTNER
GAVIN HAS BEEN IN THE BUSINESS FOR 21 YEARS. HE HAS BEEN SENIOR WRITER AT
LINTAS:BOMBAY, DY&R REDIFFUSION, J WALTER THOMPSON HONG KONG AND MACLAREN
MCCANN, ASSOCIATE CREATIVE DIRECTOR AT LEO BURNETT. VICE PRESIDENT, SR. ART
DIRECTOR AT VICKERS & BENSON ARNOLD. CREATIVE DIRECTOR, JABBERDUST ADVERTISING.

HE CO-FOUNDED BARRETT AND WELSH IN 2001 AND RAO, BARRETT AND WELSH IN 2003.

IN PURSUIT OF THE BIG IDEA, HE HAS: GAMBLED IN A MACAU CASINO, DRIVEN BMWS AT
ILLEGAL SPEEDS, NIBBLED ON PIG'S EARS (NOT ON A LIVE PIG AT THE TIME), GONE
ELEPHANT-BACK IN THE THAI JUNGLE, BEEN ATTACKED BY ANGRY MOSQUITOS IN COTTAGE
COUNTRY AND BY AN ANGRY MOB IN LAGOS.

HIS COMMERCIALS HAVE BEEN SHOT BY: DEEPA MEHTA, DAVID CARSON AND LOUIS NG.

HIS POEMS: CAN BE FOUND IN PENGUIN’S ANTHOLOGY OF 14 CONTEMPORARY INDIAN POETS,

REASONS FOR BELONGING.

HIS ADS: HAVE RUN IN 35 COUNTRIES.

HE HAS: A WIFE, 2 KIDS, A BACHELOR'S DEGREE (ECON.), A MASTER'S DEGREE (ENG. LIT), A
SHAGGY DOG AND SOME 69 AWARDS FOR HIS WORK.

HE CANNOT SING.

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