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CREATIVITY

IS CREATIVITY A TALENT?

Creativity is our survival instinct. It is as old as fear, and as new as the first lie told by a three-year old child. !

Creativity is a rewired brain. Evolution. Mutation.

HOW TO UNLOCK CREATIVITY?

Embrace the ‘mutant’ in you. Know how you think. Pollute your mind. Do the unfamiliar. Be informed. Be sensitive.

CAN CREATIVITY BE IMPROVED THROUGH PRACTICE?

You need to be honest with yourself before you can improve on it. You need to learn how to love pain before you can improve on it. You need to be fearless in your heart and mind before you can improve on it.

HOW HARD IS IT TO BE CREATIVE IN THE WORLD OF THE CLOSE-MINDED?

It is not meant to be easy. There are two challenges. Your own internal challenge to create fresher and better work than before. And the challenge of understanding how to make others see the logic behind the creative work.

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CREATIVITY IN PLANNING

HOW TO BALANCE CREATIVITY AND LOGIC WHEN WRITING A PLAN, CREATING A STRATEGY,

AND MAKING A PRINT AD?

Every creative idea has to be anchored by logic. Your idea is informed by an insight. And you arrived at that insight through a filtration process. It is all very logical.

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CREATIVITY

OVER FUNCTION

HOW TO START THE PRACTICE OF ‘CREATIVITY OVER FUNCTION’ IN VIETNAMESE ADVERTISING?

Start a local award show. Prove to client creativity works. Create work that the public will talk about.

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COPYWRITING

HOW TO TRAIN OURSELVES TO BE BETTER AT COPYWRITING?

It is not just about words. To write better, listen. If you can say it in five words, don’t use ten. Make it human. Make smart decisions on word choice. Writing is thinking.

WHAT DO I NEED TO DO TO SWICTH FROM BEING AN ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

TO A COPYWRITER?

Be honest with your skills. Create your portfolio. Use your work experience. Never look back.

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IDEAS

HOW TO CREATE UNIQUE IDEAS?

Look beyond advertising.

HOW CAN I TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BIG AND SMALL IDEAS?

Did something ‘pop’ in your head when you thought of it? Was there a ‘look’ on everyone’s face when you said it? Did the room go from ‘cold’ to ‘hot’ when you’re talking about it?

WHEN TO ACCESS THE FEASIBILITY OF AN IDEA?

Exploration stage: Client’s capacity to spend on the idea. Execution stage: People’s capacity to understand the idea. Presentation stage: Client’s capacity to accept the idea. Production stage: Partner’s capacity to deliver the idea.

HOW DO WE COME UP WITH IDEAS WHEN WE START A PROJECT?

Don’t think of ideas first. Think of insights. Reject old and used insights. Interpret the insights.

HOW TO MAKE IDEAS COME TRUE?

Make sure the idea is supported by an undeniable insight. Be realistic on budget and technology.

HOW CAN I KEEP CREATING NEW IDEAS ON OLD TOPICS

WHEN THEY START TO BORE ME?

Don’t think advertising, think solutions. Get out from the same media space. Set condensed thinking time. Work with different partners. Get out from the office. Find fresh insights.

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CONSUMERS

ARE PEOPLE THE SAME AS CONSUMERS?

Of course, consumers are people. Most importantly, client and agency are consumers too.

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GETTING ATTENTION

HOW CAN I ATTRACT MORE ATTENTION TO OUR BRAND?

Discard generic and used insights about your target. Look for fresh insights. Explore beyond the same media space. Create new media (if possible) where other brands in the same category have no access to your target.

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GETTING THE JOB

WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS THAT AN EMPLOYER EXPECTS

FROM A CANDIDATE?

During Interview: Honesty. Insights. Ideas. Skills.

During Probation: Never-say-die attitude. Proof of ideas and skills.

And always be nice.

HOW CAN I MAKE A GOOD IMPRESSION DURING THE INTERVIEW?

Do some research about the agency, and the advertising business in Vietnam. Show work that reflects the job you want. Be selective what you show. Have an opinion.

Do not be afraid to ask questions. It’s a competition. Be competitive. Be nice.

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HONESTY

HOW CAN I PERSUADE MYSELF TO SELL A PRODUCT OR SERVICE

THAT I DON’T BELIEVE IN?

Think of that salary at the end of the month.

AFTER MANY YEARS IN THIS INDUSTRY, WHAT MAKES YOU FEEL GUILTY

THE MOST?

All those times when I can’t give attention to my family. Or when I was nasty to them when I brought my work home.

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MY JOB

WHAT DO YOU DO AT Y&R?

I play.

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LEADING

CREATIVE TEAMS

HOW TO LEAD CREATIVE TEAMS?

Fix yourself first. Be transparent. Protect them. Know their strengths and weaknesses. But make them feel they can do anything. Be sensitive.

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MOTIVATION

HOW CAN I KEEP MOTIVATING MYSELF?

Be aware of your mortality. Be ambitious. Be selfish. Be famous.

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SOCIAL BUZZ

WHAT IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO CREATE BUZZ IN SOCIAL MEDIA

WITH LOW BUDGET?

Take a step back to observe what is social media. Reject all used and tried ideas and insights. Find a new ‘experience’ for people. The smaller the budget, the bigger the idea.

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SAME QUESTION.

DIFFERENT ANSWER?

FIRE

How do we make it burn brighter? How can we make it last longer?

HORSES

How can we breed stronger and faster horses?

FOOD

How can we hunt better? Where do we go where there are plants we can eat?

ILLNESSES

Which evil spirit needs to be cast out to rid this person’s illness? What witchcraft do we use to fight these curses?

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THE ‘RIGHT’ QUESTIONS

The Herd-approved question versus the ‘stupid’ question from The Individual. The question that focuses on the brief but blind to a ‘bigger’ problem. The question that you ask to get to the answer that you want.

The question that is not sensitive. And the question you do not ask when you feel the brief is wrong or the brief is unnecessary.

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THE ‘WRONG’ QUESTIONS

The question that asks if what the client is asking the agency to do is correct. The question that asks if there is another problem lurking behind the brief. The question that shifts the focus from a target group to a target person.

The question that lets us see that person as a person not a consumer. The question that challenges the same old used insights. The question that is honest rather than politically correct.

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WRONG’ QUESTION CASE STUDIES

COLGATE ‘SQUEEZEE’

The Brief: The client wanted a toy for its promotion of children’s oral care products. The Right Question: What is the budget for the toy? What kind of toy? How many toys? When do we need the toys in market? The Wrong Question: Why a toy? Can we make something fun that makes use of the product?

LEE ‘120 YEARS’

The Brief: The client wanted people to know it’s been around for 120 years. The Right Question: What are the milestones that the brand has achieved? The Wrong Question: Why would people care they’ve been around for 120 years?

THE NORTH FACE ‘CONQUER CHINA’

The Brief: The client wanted to encourage people to explore the outdoors. The Right Question: What is the difference between The North Face and its competitors? The Wrong Question: The new generation is so materialistic, why would they want to explore the outdoors?

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THANK YOU.