To Tom's point, there needs to be a freedom to break the constraints that define the creative problem. Without limits there is no need for creativity; unlimited everything leads to nothing. But ... Big agencies have too much to lose and holding companies magnify the issue. Creative freedom means Permission to Suck or being frearless about finding a solution. CPB is on a roll like Goodby before them. It will be interesting to see what they do when they have too much to lose to change when their pot is off the boil. Will they get in such a groove that change is too risky?

Creativity cannot thrive in the marketplace if clients do not embrace ideas. Agencies are also to blame. Many agencies are simply interested in keeping the revenue, and therefore are not too keen on persuading the client. Hence, the crap you see today. Holding Companies are a big problem for both agencies and clients. The Holding Company promise: “Everything from creative to media to everything else in one network,” is a misleading notion. Holding Companies constrain the agency, which in turn, handcuffs the agency employee. Clients are constricted to conformity, and that leads to approving safe work, which is often a clone of what the competition is shoveling down the consumers’ mind. Remember, many upper management types did not get to the corner office by bucking the system. On the contrary, they assimilated the system. Don’t listen to what the decision makes says. Look at what the decision maker decides. On Creativity: The smaller the box the better. The canvas is always blank regardless of how big, or how small, the canvas. Ad agencies attract excuse makers. The only excuse for not thinking of an idea is not thinking.

In addition to the swing from art to science that Jeffrey describes, I think clients also get gunshy with failures. I'm sure many a marketing director has taken a chance on a "creative" campaign that didn't work, and says "oh well that's a waste of money." The Budweiser "Whassuuuuup" campaign was memorable and popular but reduced sales because people were made to think it was a beverage for morons. The contraints that Capers describes are exactly what are needed to produce work that's creative and sells, which is the true genius of great advertising. Work that resonates so well that you just can't stop talking about it. The Bud Light work in the Super Bowl is the perfect example of not having a box - they just want something funny. There's nothing in a commercial of theirs that relates to THEIR brand. You could easily put any other beer in that commercial. Or any other thing really.

When I was being taught how to write great ads by some of the legends at BBDO, I was told 1) A product has to have a unique selling point. If it doesn't have one, make one up. 2) The funniest commercials take a human truth and exaggerate it. Make the human truth relate to the unique selling point. 3) Add a fat guy, or a baby and a talking dog and you're all set. A good example of a human truth is in the old Dupont Stainmaster commercial where the baby is spilling stuff everywhere. That's what babies do. They spill stuff. Except in this ad, it's just exaggerated for comedic effect.

Most people are unable to discern between ads with human truths and ads that are crazy for the sake of being crazy. You could say the Mr. Roboto spot is crazy for the sake of being crazy, but the human truth is that people sing in their car, and the selling point is that the car is soundproof so you can't hear him when the doors and windows are closed. And so on.. ;)

Great point Jeffrey - the science part that is. Measurement is the account director's friend in the Fortune 500 marketing meeting. "Want you're marketing budget to increase? Show me the numbers that tell me it's a good investment". I warn you against believing that advertising is a science. Advertising is fundamentally persuasion and persuasion happens to be not a science, but an art. - William Bernbach

Agencies seem to have replaced the "hunch", "gut feelings" and "risk taking"with science, procedures and management technique. Those quarterly statements to the investors never will give them a month off without looking toward the next financial report. That is not a constraint, its more like a liability. Account management teams have incredible responsibility yet seem to function more as advocates for the client. I think this undermines the agency-client relationship. Constraints that are positive limit the scope of a project to a specific set of goals and will not alter the dialog or process of creating. CPB is hot now and gets the freedom to reach higher. Lets see if they can hold on and keep it fresh when they go through an iinevitable dry spell and still come back strong. I hope so. Maybe we should all move to Miami.

IMHO - the author is right. Creativity needs a problem, a canvas, a frame or other constraint to push against. If there is no restriction there is no need for creativity. Client idea killers - in my experience - usually come too far into the creative workflow. aka - focus groups or the "I like everything about it but can we change the basic approach?" comment during presentation. Idea killers are also creative energy black holes. Boundaries or Restrictions are one thing, but subtle but meaningful changes in parameters mid-flow produce a "f**k this let's just get it done" attitude that is truly creativity’s ruin. As for hot creativity: I am in awe of the seemingly loose creativity that is bubbling at CPB. Good or bad – those guys are riding a wave. Someone down there can SELL. I don’t think a lot of what they do is stellar, but damn they can sell it. Cool topic Capers.

I have to say that in the world of advertising our client's constraints are far too often the idea killers. We bow to the power of the mighty dollar instead of walking away from a job because the client's idea sucks. I think I saw the best creative thinking in places where the constraints were challenged and lessons were learned by the ones trying to be creative. Where trust in what we bring to the table won over what they had envisioned from the beginning. Creativity is being squelched at the executive levels - on the golf course - at dinner parties and in board rooms. And this is why we tend to see more duds than studs on the airwaves, in magazines and on the net. Just my opinion though....

---- Interesting thread topic Capers. I agree with Marissa’s premise. There is little, if any “consistent magic” to be impressed with in the advertising business these days. It’s basically a mess; too much mindless clutter and borrowed interest from the self serving, unfocused, flavor of the day, next big thing, creative guru wannabes. Just random sparks of light, no raging fires.