“Creative Leaps” by Michael Newman (Executive Creative Director Saatchi&Saatchi Australia) is a book we recommend you read with a planner beside you, taking notes and underlining ideas. In fact, we recommend anything from Brandbuilders (business, advertising, marketing books). Reading such books will give you plenty of ideas in a short time; they are an endless source of inspiration.
A few things / quotes / ideas from Newman’s book, worth noting:
– Marketing means seduction.
– “We are so concerned with measuring public opinion that we forget we can mold it.” (Bill Bernbach)
– In the jungle, the opposite of courage is not cowardice, but conformity. Strong brands must break market rules, not follow them.
– Simplicity is the only way to stand out from the crowd. A simple idea is always a better idea. It will shine with any budget and in any circumstance. [KISS! Keep It Simple, Stupid!]
– Do not struggle to keep up with the times. Trends represent the antithesis of creativity.
– A large part of what passes for strategic thinking is, in fact, jus
t a rearranging of prejudices.
– No one will enjoy seeing what we did not enjoy creating.
– All human cultures are cultures based on beauty. Flowers do not attract bees by exposing them to a list of the qualities of their pollen.
– The strongest force in business is love.
– “A person buying ordinary products in a supermarket is in touch with his deepest emotions” (John Kenneth Galbraith)
– “Marketers should sell stories, not speeches.” (Bob Miller)
– The first principle of management is to make a decision – any decision.
– Originality is the price paid to buy people’s attention. If it hasn’t been done before, that is a good reason to do it now.
– “Laughter is the shortest distance between two people” (Victor Borge)*
– Aim for the Moon; as they say, even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.
– WOW: Anglican Church campaign in Birmingham: “Body piercing? Jesus did that 2000 years ago!”
– Humor means interactivity, which leads to increased memorability.
– “Genius ideas are born in solitude” (Goethe)
– Creative writing is a natural process: you stare at a piece of white paper until your head explodes. 😉
– Keep a “spare drawer” for the good ideas you’ve had but that haven’t seen the light of day yet.
Be an evangelist of ideas! – M. Newman.
