To the untrained eye, if you walk into Carrot during a brainstorm, you will honestly think we are nuts. You may see Katy walking around, clapping like a cheerleader. You may hear Mike running back from the bathroom with a crazy idea. You may glance at me in the corner, staring at the floor with my head against the wall. And I agree, to the untrained eye we do look nuts, but to us we are doing one thing: Greasin’ The Wheels.
Greasin’ the Wheels is submersing yourself in the problem, the execution and the potential. We are in the most exciting time to be in the advertising industry, since the 1960s creative revolution. We are witnessing communication with consumers move into uncharted territories. There are unlimited possibilities that have never been done before, nor fathomed 10 years ago. Ideas are developing into forms of Alternate Reality Gaming and Interactive Location based Social media, growing more complex and organic. But a good concept always boils down to the three important pieces mentioned earlier, a.k.a. the three wheels: the problem, execution and potential.
The Problem:
We have one goal in advertising: solve the problem. Every creative idea revolves around that simple sentence, but a lot of the time it gets lost in the hoopla. Nothing unclogs the creative drain better than going back and determining what is the problem. This then leads to a clearer message, a satisfied client and champagne for everyone. Salute.
The Execution:
The execution is the meat and potatoes of concepting. There are books on how to approach creative thinking written by people that have years, degrees and awards that go beyond my knowledge. I won’t bore with the same old yadda. But the fact that everyone is involved separates Carrot from any other group I have worked with. In my introduction I mentioned Katy, Mike and I; to clarify that is the Head of Communications, the President and the Intern, all greasin’ out ideas together. An open, humble environment is essential to creating and refining a good idea into a great one.
The Potential:
This is the newest part of the creative puzzle and honestly where the true greasin’ happens. The potential of a successful, awesomesauce concept lies in the hands of the consumer. Campaigns are now constantly evolving in the digital space as communities are built around the brand. Pieces like user generated content and engagement are not to be feared, but embraced. So don’t only think how people will view it, think where people will take it.
If all three of these wheels are well greased and cranking, we’re on the right track. We may all look like lunatics but sometimes you have to think a little crazy to get a little creative.
