The Right Way to Evaluate Creative in Advertising - 7.9.24

## I Got Beaten Up Early So You Don’t Have To

Early in my career, I had an experience that terrified me, but forever shaped my approach to this ever-evolving business.

I was a young professional fresh out of college, eager to make my mark and found myself working on a significant campaign for The American Express Corporate Card at Wunderman, Cato, Johnson, an agency known for its smart and straightforward creatives and strategists. By that I mean, you'd better have it together when interacting.

Confidently, but not heeding the advice above, I put together what I thought was a passable creative brief for a smaller project. Rightfully and directly, a strategic planner tore it to shreds (figuratively thankfully), criticizing my half-hearted effort. She is still a hero.

The experience was humbling and, frankly, a wake-up call. From that day on, I understood the immense importance of a well-crafted brief. It wasn’t just a formality; it was the backbone of any successful campaign. That lesson has stayed with me throughout my career, underscoring the need for thorough, well-thought-out briefs.

In the fast-paced world of advertising and its collective ego, evaluating creative work can often feel like a firing squad coming from multiple directions. With so many subjective opinions and preferences at play, how can we ensure that our assessments are fair, objective, and aligned with the campaign’s goals? For the last 30 years, I have worked with some of the best creatives, researchers, analysts, planners, clients, and tacticians and have learned some things.