Ever seen an ad so genius that it made you look twice? Or how about a material that was so engaging that you just had to answer and defend it for hours? Well, that’s part of what account managers (AM) and creative strategists (CS) do!
For starters, AMs and CSs are the ones who think about the concept of ads. With their creative imaginations, they put together a mishmash of thoughts and endorse them to artists who bring their ideas to life. But let’s be honest, it’s not every day that we can think of groundbreaking concepts. In fact, artists even experience creative burnouts, too, which we tackled in this article. And as an account manager myself, I can attest that there are really times that we struggle to make mind blowing ideas – and this has the tendency to either delay the work or confuse our artists.
And so, to help, here are 5 ways that I use that have helped me cope one way or another:
- Browse Other Platforms
Not a single ad is a one-size-fits-all. But that doesn’t mean you can’t be inspired by things you see on the other side of the web. For example, did you know that one of my concepts came from the then-viral game Wordle? That’s right! I simply took the idea of the game and adjusted it for my brand’s audience so it would be easier for them to guess.
So really, the concept was fairly the same but the challenge in doing it was making the idea my own. To do this, I put a little bit of my and the brand’s razzle-dazzle and pizazz with a few elements here and there, then boom! It was an engaging post that was so effective for my brand’s market.
And so, with this, always remember that if a concept is good enough, you can translate and tweak it to be your own. Don’t be afraid to browse through several websites until you have a fresh idea, exiting that creative slump.
- Be Unhinged
Playing it safe is a thing of the past! Today, weird ideas make or break a brand because everyone’s fighting for virality. One of my proudest brands that I had here at Brand Republic is Expresspay, a payment service franchise. And did you know what platform they wanted to explore? TikTok (YES, kinda challenging for their industry, right?!). That unhinged platform that’s filled with crazy memes and unhinged concepts is the one they looked into. So if you encountered the same situation where you feel like the brand does not really fit in the platform, just do what I did… create unhinged ideas! Explore those dance challenges, make funny skits, use weird audios, and many more. Don’t be afraid to create unique ideas ‘cos it might just pop off!
- Watch Cat Videos
Remember that when you’re thinking hard, you’re NOT THINKING. That’s why you need to relax and entertain yourself for a minute (or an hour!) and let your mind be free from pressure. Personally, looking at those smol (and cute!) cat videos does the trick since… well, what can I say? They’re CUTE!!! But don’t be stuck on cat videos alone ‘cos it could be just about anything as long as it makes you smile. It’s funny how a few laughs can make your day, letting you be inspired and creative at the same time.
- Eat Spicy Food
To be fair, sometimes, NOT THINKING can get you out of the creative slump (but only in specific ways). Everyone definitely had their “my mind is full” moment and were filled with so many emotions. And, that’s a death sentence for your creativity because you won’t ever get to the final concept that you have. My advice? EAT SPICY FOOD to distract yourself and redirect the pain in your tongue. Later on, you’ll be surprised by how many creative ideas you’ll have after biting one or two jalapeńos.
- Take A Breather
Well, worse comes to worst, you need to take more than one step back… you have to take miles of a step back. I’m not gonna lie and say I’m proud of everything that I made here at Brand Republic. I’ve had contents that were criticized because of how lazy they were. But that’s the thing! If none of my advice above doesn’t work, it’s time to print out that vacation leave form and fill it up. One time, I was so stressed by a brand (thou shan’t be named 🥶) that I was going on autopilot for months. So what I did was simply take a break, visit the ocean park, and get a picture with penguins. The recovery from that experience was beyond me. I finally made concepts and copies that I can finally say I’m proud of. I was finally able to get back to my unhinged ideas, with a few of them getting praised.
So if you’re struggling… take my last advice and tell your team lead or boss that you’re gonna be away for a day or two… ‘cos I honestly think it will really change you.
And there you have it! Remember that creativity starts with a concept. Know that as an account manager or a creative strategist, your mind is your investment. That’s why you need all of the tools you possibly need to keep it fresh and alive. Make it so that you always… always create contents that excite your viewers… and ultimately, something you can be proud of.
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