18 Ma r ch 20 08 VIEW on Advertising THE CREATIVE PROCESS O n his deathbed, a comedian uttered the famous remark: “Dying is easy, comedy is hard.” Comedy is indeed hard. The same thing could be said about doing great advertising. Which is why those who practice the craft are always searching for ways to make the process easier. And the product better. Over the years, I’ve seen the benefits of an approach that actu ally seems to enhance the creative process and the product. For lack of a better word, this approach can be called “The Wall.” A Structure for Collaboration “The Wall” is literally, well, a wall. A wall covered with cork and dotted with pushpins. It should reside in a room of its own, which gives it an air of special purpose, akin to a laboratory, artist’s studio, or workshop. On its simplest level, “The Wall” is the place where the creative group places its thinking. From the most tentative pencil sketch or Word document, to the most evolved Quark layout, everything, at some stage, gets affixed to “The Wall.” “The Wall,” in other words, is the place where the agency collec tively thinks. As ideas become posted, they beget other ideas. Or, they crosspollinate — a headline fertilizes a visual. Hierarchies, of course, naturally develop. The stronger ideas rise to the top, the weaker ones sink to the bottom. Groupings develop, too, based on creative approach — for example a metaphor, a testimonial, a slice oflife, etc. Freeing the Creative Process “The Wall” frees the creative development process from relying on traditional meetings. Since the entire exploratory process is con stantly on “The Wall” for all to see, critical thinking can occur in a steady and ongoing way. This approach speeds the overall develop ment process. “The Wall” also frees creative thinking from the grasp ing tentacles of authorship and ego — at least at the outset. By design, “The Wall” levels the playing field; ideas live or die, rise or fall, on the basis of their merit, not on who the authors happen to be. And, perhaps most importantly, “The Wall” turns the creative exploratory into an open, collaborative process.A process that involves the creative staff, to be sure, but also account people, as well as anyone else in the agency. Everyone is encouraged to contribute ideas or com mentary to the “The Wall.” Ultimately, this results in a body of work that is reflective of a real diversity of voice, vision, and point of view. Stated another way: the creative done this way truly rocks. Of course, using “The Wall” doesn’t obviate the need for tradi tional meetings and presentations. Nor does it eliminate the oppor tunity for individuals to “own” their own ideas. What “The Wall” does is immediately place these individual efforts against a broader canvas. And this approach has an enormously positive impact on quality. So that’s the concept. I’ve heard that lots of other creative enter prises, Pixar among them, employ something like “The Wall” in their own businesses. I’m not surprised by this. As a technique for improv ing collaboration and, thereby, improving the creative product, “The Wall” is rock solid. # WISHBONEITP is an advertising agency based in NewYork City. Getting Creative about Collaboration Wishbone/ITP Steve Hamburg,Partner, Chief Creative Officer “The Wall” turns the creative exploratory into an open, collaborative process. A process that involves the creative staff, to be sure, but also account people, as well as anyone else in the agency. Everyone is encouraged to contribute ideas or commentary to the “The Wall.” 0308 PVV VIEW Layout FINAL 3/18/08 4:18 PM Page 18 WB 3/12/08 PHARMA VOICE CIGAR AD DO EVERYTH NG YOU CAN Excess Success Success Without Excess F A S T J U S T G O T F A S T E R I N T H E T R E A T M E N T O F M G R A N E So come and get it… Great strategy, creative, and service. If you want it all, call Steven Michaelson at WISHBONE 6464869701 or visit our Web site at www.wishboneitp.com YOU EITHER HAVE IT OR YOU DON’T CLOSE JUST DOESN’T CUT IT M A G I N E T H E P O S S I B L I T I E S Bleed: 9.75″ Bleed: 11.75″ Trim: 9.5″ Trim: 11.5″ Live: 9″ Live: 11″
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Getting Creative about Collaboration
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