10 Ways to Pursue Great Creative for Healthcare Advertising

Though advertising has evolved beyond traditional print to more digital experiences, the holy grail is still the BIG IDEA. But how do you find it? Where do the ideas come from? How do you avoid sameness? How do you spur inspiration? Here are ten ideas you should consider. Some of them might surprise you.

1. Put down the trade journal

There’s nothing new in there that you haven’t already seen. Maybe a few new shots of the beach but that’s about it. I suggest you spend time with five publications that you normally wouldn’t look at. You’ll open yourself up to new voices and perspectives.

2. Move around

Get away from your desk. Go outside. Trade spaces with someone. Anything to force yourself to be around new surroundings. Sometimes a completely different kind of lighting will change your mood and spark the imagination.

3. Be a kid again

When was the last time you went to the zoo? Used crayons? Watched cartoons? The more you think like a kid the more your brain will be free to imagine.

4. Mix up the teams

It’s true that creative teams can form a strong bond. But when they stop challenging each other, when ideas begin to be recycled, it’s time to mix it up. After all, peanut butter and jelly can get boring if you eat it every day. So why not a little peanut butter and chocolate for a fresh change?

5. Go for quantity to get to quality

The human spirit is naturally lazy. Many times we come up with a good idea and feel like we’re done. It is the rare occasion when the first idea is the best idea. My experience is that it takes a lot of bad ideas to get to a great one. A great motto to have is “I know it’s late. But let’s do one more.”

6. Fly a kite in the rain

Hitting upon a big idea is like getting struck by lightning. So to find that strike, you have to go where the lightning is. Be sure you absorb yourself in the best of the best creative work in the world. Go to awards shows. Judge awards shows. Watch the Clios. Memorize the One Show.

7. Don’t be a client pleaser

We all want happy clients. But clients hire us because they want great ideas. So first and foremost be a good steward of their business by presenting great work and standing by it. Let them know up front that you plan to make their hands sweat a little. They will appreciate it.

8. Put away the brief

I’m a big believer in a good creative brief. A brief is like a contract that says “this is what we agree is the right path to explore.” But sometimes, sometimes, you have to put the brief away and think outside the brief. Ask yourself bigger questions about what the brief is trying to accomplish. Words on paper can stifle creative thinking. Don’t be afraid to freeform.

Flubber wasn't intended to be what it became, but that's just part of the process.

9. Bounce the flubber

When flubber bounces, it doesn’t stop, it only builds momentum. It’s a good idea to bounce your ideas off of lots of different people. Not to build consensus but to see which ideas have momentum and the legs to go the distance. Keep throwing those ideas out there. Many great campaigns started off with the phrase “you’re probably gonna think this is stupid, but here goes.”

10. Keep pen and paper by your bed

Some wonderful ideas happen when you sleep. Your brain relaxes and your circuitry flows differently. Sometimes I’ll wake up in the middle of the night and write down an idea or two. In the morning I’ll read those scribbles and wonder what in the world I was thinking. But a lot of times there’s a little nugget that turns into something great. For the interactive minded, try the Adobe Ideas app and/or Evernote for your iPad or iPhone. Both are simple and save trees.

Do you have a tip to spark creative thinking? Let me know. My mind is open.