There are two paths that are almost a guarantee that your video or audio project will fall flat: running full forward with your first idea and forcing a clever idea to fit your project.

Let’s look at each one separately.

The First Idea

The first idea we have for a project is an exciting moment. I think it’s because it’s the moment that the project is showing a glimpse of being real. But that doesn’t explain why we run full bore with that idea without considering others. That’s a bit of a rookie mistake.

I’ve been in A LOT of brainstorming sessions. If the room is full of creatives, it’ll be a longer meeting and we’ll dive into lots of ideas. Some will be tossed aside quickly; others will linger and spawn branches; and a couple will begin to see a structure. If these are seasoned creatives, we will for-sure have sidebars about the company personality and expected tone and look and style, etc. What we will absolutely not do is try and make everything a “final draft.” We won’t be concerned about spelling or complete sentences or specific images; nitpicking about that sort of stuff at this early stage just stops the flow and kills the wave we’re all about to ride.

If the room is full of non-creatives, this meeting will likely be short. The pressure is more intense and the focus can land on the first idea presented–bending it and twisting it to fit “something” in the form of an advertising goal (and in most cases, it’s not A goal, but SEVERAL goals–but that’s a discussion for later). The idea will almost surely be based on some other project seen and admired (not a horrible thing, but limiting), and the focus will be on getting to production fast.

I also think that decision-makers in general (C-suites for example) are apt to move quickly. I think this is some combination of “time is money” and “decision made, next” thinking. I’ve grown to both understand and have a little of this thinking in myself since owning my own business. I get it, and I think it’s what makes them successful. So when you’re faced with this dynamic, just move through the range of ideas quickly–keep it moving!

Sometimes lightning does strike immediately, but it’s so rare you just can’t count on it. Going with the first idea is usually not the best path–or rather, ONLY fleshing out the first idea is a bad path. Push for 5 or ten ideas. Doing this will accomplish two things: you will get away from cliche or the “overdone” thing and you will get closer to something that is actually more in line with your brand, and the idea is apt to be much more original. And, if you find that you still land on the first idea, you know you’ve tested its stability under some weight.

The Idea First

I heard an audio commercial recently that was promoting a medical procedure (I won’t name the brand). The procedure is elective and is not cheap. But, despite these facts, the concept they landed on for their commercial was the “it costs as much as a cup of coffee” concept. We’ve all heard this before. Ad nauseam. I’m not researching this, but I think it started with the advent of subscription apps over one-time purchase apps. But for sure the idea was focused on the price of getting something for about the cost of a cup a coffee.

So hearing this ad force that concept down the throat of its “waaaay-more-expensive-than-a-cup-of-coffee” reality just felt off. You don’t have to be a musician to hear that a bad note is a bad note. You don’t know WHY it’s a bad note; you just know that either A. someone made a mistake in their playing, or B. someone made a mistake in their writing.

That medical company, or their ad partner, made a mistake in writing to that concept. I think the end of the ad had the “legal voice” come in to do the math: “based on the price of a latte everyday for three years” kinda thing. It’s trying too hard. And it didn’t work.

The drone shot went down this road before. EVERYONE WANTED A DRONE SHOT IN THEIR VIDEO. No matter what the tone or vibe, “we gotta have a drone shot” was the mantra. I love drone shots, but some projects absolutely need a drone shot and some projects absolutely do not need a drone shot.

If there is a conveyor belt that drops ideas into oblivion, I hope the “magic marker drawing” animation concept is close to the end of that mechanism. Please, oh please.

Do your best to stop yourself from making an idea fit your reality. Spin that thinking around and start with you/your company/your subject/your audience, and let that drive the ideas.