The creative formula?

Sometimes I feel uninspired. There's nothing I can do about it. Creativity doesn't work office hours. The problem is, I do. So I've found a way to uncreatively be creative, a simple structure to come up with an idea. A way to brainstorm without the brain!

It's a simple formula that anyone can use...

For me, creativity can be reduced to the following formula:

[SMB] + [DT] > Idea

While the theory might be sound, it does take some complex "trial and error" time in practice to get it right. ie "crack the idea"

SMB stands for single-minded benefit. I find this to be the most crucial part of coming up with an idea. Without a clear and strong single-minded benefit, coming up with a clear and strong creative idea is extremely difficult. Very often I am briefed to advertise two benefits in one concept. It's like trying to fit two keys into one lock at the same time, and usually the outcome is a message that confuses and irritates audiences. For example, Volvo's SMB is safety. Not speed, not comfort, not status. Safety. They understand this so well that their brand is elevated in the minds of consumers to actually mean "safe". And this was done by the repetition of a simple, single-minded proposition.

DT is what you then do to the single-minded benefit. It stands for Descriptive Technique. Simply put, you take the SMB and then approach it with a different figure of speech, depending on what the benefit is, what the brand tone is, what has been done before, really just what works best - what expression communicates the benefit in a creative, natural and interesting way.

Some examples of things you can do to an SMB to make it work in a creative way is use: analogy, personification, euphuism, hyperbole or metaphor.
Some will work and feel right, others will feel unnatural, forced or wrong.

The ">" symbol refers to the "trial and error" filter which you'd go through to see which DT works best with the SMB.

Here's an example of a simple SMB, "strong", explained using exaggeration:


As you can see from this one print ad, the equation will very often make the creative outcome seem expected and "1st base" in its thinking, but an idea can always be pushed further until you find the unexpected and something new:


Ah, now the same idea seems newer, smarter and definitely more creative.

The examples I've referred to are not from our B2B world, but they illustrate my point well. Creativity in advertising translates across B2C and B2B in the same way.