8 unique ways to define creativity

Inspiring advice from8 Creative Directors{

Understand the brand’s goals, aspirations and initiatives

Melissa Rosenthaldirector creative services, Buzzfeed

“The [Buzzfeed] creative department is responsible for coming up with the innovative, inspiring content for advertisers.

“My team’s role is to understand the brand’s goals, aspirations and initiatives and come up with content that is authentic to them.

“And content with this in mind earns the right to go viral, and earns the right to be shared.”

Tell stories.

Humberto Leonco-creative director, Kenzo

“We’re such nerdy, obsessed people about storytelling . . . and we’re trying to tell the story of this brand through our collections.”

Use a content model. Shape it around an experience and a message.

John Mescallexecutive creative director, McCann Australia

“It’s interesting, [in Dumb Ways to Die] we never actually say don’t do it. Never. We allow people to know that’s a dumb thing to do, and no one wants to be dumb. If we told people don’t do it… that’s a control model. Advertising is control. Do this, buy this, don’t do that, own this, do this now, call us now.

Whereas, the content model is all around an experience and the message, but not telling you. It’s involving you and showing you and making you feel something.”

Realize not everyone will like your work.

Jill Applebaumcreative director, JWT New York

“[Creativity is] about how resiliently you can dust yourself off and get back in the game after a round of soul-sucking criticism.”

Pick up where someone else left off.

Carol Limco-creative director, Kenzo

“Founder Kenzo Takada, who moved from Japan to Paris in the mid-’60s, also had a hand in retail. . . . In his prime, Takada pioneered a fusion of Japanese street style, Parisian chic, and global ethnic influences, creating voluminous, color-blocked clothes.”

“Takada was really about designing from a personal perspective. He didn’t follow trends, and we’re trying to use the cues of that personality to make what we think is modern.”

Create something new and difficult to pull off.

Anselmo Ramoschief creative officer, Ogilvy Brazil

Ramos’ two criteria for eliciting creative work:

1. “Show me something I haven’t seen before (and I

see a lot).”

2. “It should be really hard to make happen.”

Allow restrictions to become an advantage.

Ryan O’Rourkeglobal creative director, Wieden + Kennedy

Because Nike wasn’t an official Olympic sponsor, its ads

didn’t use professional athletes or references to the 2012

games. “In a way, the restrictions became our advantage

—we had to do something different.”

 "Creative" is never easy or for the faint of heart.

Mike Westoncreative director, Jackson Marketing Group

“I’ll tell you what it's not:  Creative is never easy or for the faint of heart.  

It is never safe or expected. And it is not a big fan of the status quo.”

2014 OBIE award finalist

www.jacksonmg.com