Episodes
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Finally, and at long last, George Tannenbaum answers the question on everyone's mind: Is GeorgeCo LLC really a Delaware company?
He talks about much more than that, of course. Henry Gomez and I delight in the return of our friend. He's our holiday present to all of you. Consider this our joint thank you for your support over the last year. And the previous three years as well. George joins us on Episode #199.
Reminder: For a 90-minute live webinar on writing the single-minded proposition contact Howard Ibach at creativebriefworkshops.com.
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Our guest, Alex Morris, is a freelance strategy consultant who authored a study Creatives on Strategy: Looking Outside Ourselves to Define What Strategy Offers. It is a survey of creatives' thoughts about strategy. And it's the topic of our discussion today.
Alex is a strategist of high regard, as evidenced by the comments from his colleagues. “Alex Morris is every creative’s dream strategist," noted Heather McTavish, ECD of Virtue. "All in. No bullshit. Smart as all get out. Kinder than anyone you know. Extremely collaborative and on the money.”
So it is refreshing that what he uncovered in this survey pulls no punches. And offers all of us, creatives and strategists alike, a keen window into our working relationship. And makes for excellent conversation.
Henry Gomez and I share with you excerpts from the survey. And we talk at length about the natural tension between the two camps who are, after all, on the same side.
Reminder: For a 90-minute live webinar on writing the single-minded proposition contact Howard Ibach at creativebriefworkshops.com.
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Missing episodes?
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Ed Tsue, Global CSO at Media Futures Group, a respected and admired strategist in our industry, tells us that the Creative Brief is Dead.
Today on The Brief Bros., he defends and expands on his position, first posited in his Medium newsletter a year ago.
And thanks to last week's guest Ed Cotton, who reposted Ed Tsue's musings on his blog, Provoke, we found it. And then decided to bring Ed Tsue on to talk about it.
It's a lively but never heated discussion, with more than a little push-back from both sides.
And I think it's safe to say, both Ed and I learned a few things from each other. Sadly, my buddy Henry Gomez was traveling for work and couldn't join us.
Reminder: For a 90-minute live webinar on writing the single-minded proposition contact Howard Ibach at creativebriefworkshops.com.
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When he launched his Substack blog Provoke six months ago, strategist Ed Cotton had a clear goal. He decided to post excerpts from and links to his favorite LinkedIn articles.
But he didn't stop there. When a topic struck his fancy, he looked beyond LinkedIn and created a curio box of goodies. Most are strategy related. But his interests reflect the curiosity of a good strategist. Attention, demographics, insights, AI, writing. And then there's the Arctic and food. He even posted on spies and spying. And of course the creative brief.
For brief nerds like Henry Gomez and me, this particular post was catnip. And its links to the writing of others with similar interests piqued our interest. We've reached out to some of them. A few will be guests in the coming weeks and months.
Today, we probe the curious mind of Ed Cotton, a British transplant with tenure at McCann-Erickson and Lowe. And on major brands like Converse, MINI and Priceline.
Reminder: For a 90-minute live webinar on writing the single-minded proposition contact Howard Ibach at creativebriefworkshops.com.
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It's a too-familiar story. Derek Walker, copywriter and agency founder, came to advertising via journalism. When he graduated, he couldn't find work in ad agencies. Instead, he cut his teeth in corporate America. Radio Shack, for one, where as in-house ACD, he worked on the Howie & Teri television spots.
As he tells it, his grounding on the client side helped him immeasurably. And gave him a career boost when he eventually got hired by agencies. Including stints at Cramer-Krasselt in Milwaukee and Chiat\Day.
Derek's story is inspiration for aspiring copywriters and art directors. If you want a deep knowledge of brands, he tells us, you could hardly do better than to start your career working for a brand.
Reminder: For a 90-minute live webinar on writing the single-minded proposition contact Howard Ibach at creativebriefworkshops.com.
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Part 2 with Christopher Owens, head of brand strategy at TRG, formerly The Richards Group.
Today, Christopher continues to share his passion for strategy. He talks at length about the dangers of short-term thinking on building brands. Then he addresses the turn away information-driven creative back to creativity and story-telling to make emotional connections. He also tells us about his leadership style, and much more.
Christopher's impact on our industry is broad and deep. He has been the Miami Ad School's Program Lead of Strategy Bootcamp for many years.
Reminder: For a 90-minute live webinar and customized corporate training in writing inspiring creative briefs, contact Howard Ibach at creativebriefworkshops.com.
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Our guest this week is the man who put us in touch with the author of the famous Kiwi shoe polish creative brief. Christopher Owens, head of brand strategy at TRG, formerly The Richards Group, hired Sarah Walker-Hall. He reached out to us years ago and asked if we wanted to meet this strategist. And that led to a two-part interview on The Brief Bros.
Today, Christopher joins us for a two-part interview of his own. He talks about his origins, from his early interests in jazz and architecture to his fledgling beginnings in a small Dallas agency, Gleason/Calise.
His leadership at TRG spans two decades, and include Effie-awarding-winning work on GameStop, Patron and Sub-Zero. (He generously donated three creative briefs for these brands to the Creative Brief Archive.)
This is a deep dive conversation about strategy and his commitment to training new generations of strategists. For many years, Christopher has been the Miami Ad School's Program Lead of Strategy Bootcamp.
Part 2 airs next week.
Reminder: For a 90-minute live webinar and customized corporate training in writing inspiring creative briefs, contact Howard Ibach at creativebriefworkshops.com for availability.
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The second part of our conversation with TBWA Worldwide's Rob Schwartz.
Today, guest-host David Moore and I talk with Rob about the heroes among strategists. The story behind the full-page ad for TBWA\Chiat\Day NY's move. What's the way forward for our industry? Is advertising creatively rewarding? And more.
Reminder: For a 90-minute live webinar and customized corporate training in writing inspiring creative briefs, contact Howard Ibach at creativebriefworkshops.com for availability.
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Creative Director. Executive Creative Director. Chief Creative Officer. CEO. Chair. And now Certified Coach. All the aforementioned at TBWA\Worldwide. First in Los Angeles, then in New York.
Rob Schwartz has worn many hats in his illustrious career. He was even my boss at Team One Advertising in the late 90s before he moved on to TBWA\Chiat\Day. And today, he is our guest for Part 1 of a two-part conversation.
We covered many topics: Rob's career path—did you know he was almost a lawyer? We talked about how to determine a good idea. The importance if clarity and simplicity in an idea. What is a good creative brief? How he finds and hires good people.
Watch and listen to a master leader, teacher and coach share his insights on more than two decades of shepherding great brands for great agencies.
Plus a special thanks to David Moore for pinch hitting for Henry Gomez who did his best to avoid Hurricane Milton.
Reminder: For a 90-minute live webinar and customized corporate training in writing inspiring creative briefs, contact Howard Ibach at creativebriefworkshops.com for availability.
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Part memoir, part textbook for all creative entrepreneurs, Nick Cohen's Honest! A True Story of a Ridiculous Attempt to Make Advertising More Truthful is a must read.
It's fun, funny, and an improbable tale of 15 years of creative genius and ground-breaking work. And it's the unforgettable story about the founding of a brilliant shop, Mad Dogs & Englishmen, almost twenty years after its demise.
Henry Gomez and I delight in reminiscing with Nick about his experiences, the lessons he learned, the people he knew and worked with (including a past guest on our show, Robin Hafitz), the story behind the story of Honest! and more.
Sit back with your fave beverage and some popcorn. Because this is a fun conversation.
Reminder: For a 90-minute live webinar and customized corporate training in writing inspiring creative briefs, contact Howard Ibach at creativebriefworkshops.com for availability.
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What do you get when you combine erudition, deep research, and a copywriter's dexterous poise with a sentence? You get The Road to Hell: How Purpose Leads to a Worse World.
Our guest on The Brief Bros. this week, Nick Asbury, tackles a timely and provocative subject, purpose. And Henry Gomez and I take a stroll down this road with Nick and we dissect the strange and often disconcerting purpose behind purpose.
Here's a key line from his book, "Purpose is a deadening force that conscripts creativity towards political ends. That way, a lot of bad art lies."
Whether you agree or disagree with the subject of Nick's absorbing and easy read, our discussion shines bright lights on what marketers are doing today. Nick offers a studious and enlightening take on the argument. And lays purpose out for the count in no uncertain terms. It's a highly recommended book.
Reminder: For a 90-minute live webinar and customized corporate training in writing inspiring creative briefs, contact Howard Ibach at creativebriefworkshops.com for availability.
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Join us for Part 2 of our first-ever all-creative panel discussion. We continue our talk about our industry, the state of creativity, and the role of AI.
Co-host David Moore, who sits in for the traveling Henry Gomez, and I join seven of our friends and colleagues:
Gene Payne in Chicago, Nic York-Bogen in LA, Monique Thomas in Minneapolis, Sara Rosinsky in Colorado, Lisa Lorraine in Lincoln, NE, Michael Rushing in LA and Derek Walker in South Carolina. They are writers, art directors and creative directors who work in the agency world and on the client side.
Reminder: For a 90-minute webinar and customized corporate training in writing inspiring creative briefs, contact Howard Ibach at creativebriefworkshops.com for availability.
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In a first for the Brief Bros., we've assembled a panel of seven advertising creatives to talk about our industry, the state of creativity, and the role of AI. The discussion was so lively and robust, we talked for more than two hours. Today's episode is Part 1. Part 2 airs next Wednesday.
Joining me and my friend and reliable substitute co-host David Moore, who sits in for the traveling Henry Gomez, we're proud to introduce our viewers to:
Gene Payne in Chicago, Nic York-Bogen in LA, Monique Thomas in Minneapolis, Sara Rosinsky in Colorado, Lisa Lorraine in Lincoln, NE, Michael Rushing in LA and Derek Walker in South Carolina. They are writers, art directors and creative directors who work in the agency world and on the client side. Three are old friends of mine and four are friends of David's.
We had such a good time, we plan to do this again.
Reminder: For small group and corporate training in writing inspiring creative briefs, contact Howard Ibach at creativebriefworkshops.com for availability.
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A good strategist can walk a mile in the shoes of the customer. And a good novelist must do the same, except in the shoes of many characters. Henry Gomez and I are excited to introduce you to a practitioner of both skills—strategy and novelwriting. His name is Tim Maleeny and he is the chief strategist and innovation officer at Havas in New York City.
Tim has won awards in both his fields, advertising and mystery writing. Hanging the Devil, a Cape Weather Mystery series, is out now.
He's worked at R/GA, Ogivly and Hal Riney. And he's a techie and lives among too many books, or so he claims. In our conversation, Tim, Henry and I covered creative briefs, the most awarded ad campaigns in recent memory, what he's learned from the legends he's worked with. And more. Break out the popcorn for this one.
Reminder: For small group and corporate training in writing inspiring creative briefs, contact Howard Ibach at creativebriefworkshops.com for availability.
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He's the first to appear on The Brief Bros. three times. And we're delighted and privileged to have him back. Cameron Day joins Henry Gomez and me today to talk about his new book, Stones & Sticks. It's the third book in his trilogy The Advertising Survival Guide: Stage Three: The Highest Altitudes of Your Career. Listen to a professional describe what it takes to join the highest ranks in our industry.
Cam joined us twice before, each time to discuss the first two books: Chew With Your Mind Open (Episode 52) and Spittin' Chiclets (Episode 96).
Our friend George Tannenbaum summarized the importance of these guide books best when he wrote, "Ever wonder who mentors the mentors?"
Reminder: For small group and corporate training in writing inspiring creative briefs, contact Howard Ibach at creativebriefworkshops.com for availability.
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Creative briefs are a vital element in advertising, but so are brand manifestos. Our guest today is Lonnie Elliott, creative lead at Meta, and the founder of Manifestowriting.com.
Lonnie shares with Henry Gomez and me examples of great manifestos, some of which you may recognize. And he talks about his plans to expand his growing collection of manifestos. You might call him the head librarian of this excellent collection. It's well worth your time to review and study. And watch this episode.
Reminder: For small group and corporate training in writing inspiring creative briefs, contact Howard Ibach at creativebriefworkshops.com for availability.
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Four months ago, Carmichael Lynch in Minneapolis created the postion of Chief Operating Officer. They created it with one person in mind, our guest today on The Brief Bros.: Stacy Janicki.
A legacy advertising agency needs a great leader, and CL found it in Stacy. Join Henry Gomez and me as we chat with this dynamic and laid-back personality.
CL's mantra is "Come Together. Stand Apart." Stacy reveals how this philosophy works. First she gives us a tour of the brands and award-winning work from CL. Including Subaru and Bush Beans. She also talks about the importance of briefs and briefing. And she shares with us how to build teams within the agency.
Reminder: For small group and corporate training in writing inspiring creative briefs, contact Howard Ibach at creativebriefworkshops.com for availability.
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Luckett Vanguard oozes all the qualities you want in a strategic planner: curiosity, gregariousness, passion, the team player. FCB in Chicago hired him a year ago from the Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Comm. Kudos to our friend Mark Jenson for the rec! And already he's made his mark.
Henry Gomez and I quizzed him on the unusual path he took first to Hubbard, then to his first job at FCB. Luckett had a few years of life experience under his belt and he tells us how this played to his advantage.
Today Luckett joins us in our New and Emerging Talent series. We love to meet young pros in our industry and get a sense of who our future leaders will be. You'll be impressed by this young man.
Reminder: For small group and corporate training in writing inspiring creative briefs, contact Howard Ibach at creativebriefworkshops.com for availability.
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She was a founding partner at Mad Dogs & Englishmen in New York (thank you Dave Dye for your encyclopedic memory!). And today, she runs her own strategy consulting firm, Open Mind Strategy. Henry Gomez and I are thrilled to welcome Robin Hafitz to a sit-down chat on The Brief Bros.
Robin was one of the first five American practitioners of account planning, what we now call strategy. And she has some stories to share about those early days. But this is more than a trip down memory lane. Robin shares her insights on insights, briefs, brands and clients. And her working relationship with her co-founding partner, Nick Cohen.
Reminder: For small group and corporate training in writing inspiring creative briefs, contact Howard Ibach at creativebriefworkshops.com for availability.
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Henry Gomez and I welcome Mack Saunders, the director of brand experience for The Annex, a boutique hotel in Toronto.
Mack's background and perspective on branding came to my attention when I met him at The Annex on a recent trip to Ontario. Fans of The Brief Bros. will be intrigued by the challenges he has faced in his role. And the intrepid manner in which he overcame these challenges.
He also shared with us news about the imminent opening of their newest properety, The Annex Palm Springs.
Reminder: For small group and corporate training in writing inspiring creative briefs, contact Howard Ibach at creativebriefworkshops.com for availability.
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