Creativity with Constraints

“Creativity requires the courage to let go of certainties.”

“I’m sorry but our CEO thinks that this is off-brand and we should relook into it”

In the past 15 years of experience working with brands, we’ve experienced this many times during early days.

We thought we had it covered from the beginning, thinking that this would be a piece that would wow people.

At the very last moment showing our first cut to them, we felt like everything we’ve created was turned down and being controlled too much.

Frustrating? But here’s the thing:

• Rules are not meant to kill creativity. They are the boundaries to push against and what makes motion design exciting.

• Rules are not there for compromise, but a call to communicate cleverly

• The real good work happens when we can find a sweet spot where creativity can align with stringent corporate, brand and PR guidelines.

Structuring your thoughts for creative brief

Over the years, we’ve documented our experience. A small part of it is turning them into a step-by-step guided brief structure for your campaign.

Here is how you can structure your brief before sharing it with everyone else in your team and deciding on hiring a creative agency.

1. Campaign Objectives

Define the overarching goals for your campaign. What key message or action do you want your audience to take? Be clear and concise.

Example: We aim to promote our new product line to a young family of Singaporeans by showcasing its new and unique features in a fun, relatable way.

2. Creative Vision

Outline your vision. Where do you want to push boundaries? What are your boldest ideas for this campaign? Don’t hold back here, but keep it tied to the brand’s core values.

Example: Create a visually immersive video ad using cute characters that captures attention immediately by speaking to the audience.

3. Budget Limitations

Clearly define your budget and financial constraints. Knowing where the limits are helps balance creativity with realism.
Click here for more examples on how you can angle your content.

Example: Our total budget for this campaign is $50,000, with an emphasis on prioritizing digital channels.

4. Brand Compliance & Restrictions

Identify the key restrictions and compliance needs—whether it’s adhering to specific brand guidelines or external regulatory factors.

Example: Ad content must avoid political themes and ensure brand colors and typography are consistent with our corporate identity.

5. Risk Tolerance for Brand

How far can you push the boundaries? Define how much risk is acceptable in terms of creativity versus compliance.

Example: While we want to stand out, we need to maintain a professional tone that aligns with our corporate image. Use or restrictions of certain execution method such as motion graphics, 3D, 2D or illustrations.

6. Success Metrics

Outline how you will measure the success of the campaign. These metrics will help gauge if the campaign is both creatively and financially successful.

Example: We’ll measure engagement through social media impressions, click-through rates, and ROI.

7. Stakeholders’ Approval Process

Clearly define the approval chain. Who has the final say in the campaign’s creative execution?

Example: The creative director and head of marketing will review and approve the final creative deliverables.

Thank you for reading this article and we hope you can use some of the insights in your campaign brief.
For a free comprehensive brief structure document, get in touch and email us.

We specialize in crafting creative solutions that bridge the gap between bold ideas and your corporate expectations. If you are looking to create something different within your brand’s limitations or create something fresh within your budget, we’re your creative partners.