I run a global advertising agency. Here is described how we make great ideas – rewarding a lot of bad ideas

Where do good ideas come from?

After serving as CEO of advertising agency Bbdo worldwide For 20 years, working together with some of the world’s largest brands, I have come to one answer: good thoughts come from the desire of bad thoughts – many, many Bad thoughts.

If you want the creative process to work, then you have to accept that it is a mess. In its own way, instead of stepping step by step, it is best to generate a chaotic array of possibilities from data to a logical progression and testing them on the problem until a few clicks. Jump to the conclusion without worrying about how you cross the gap difference.

I know that it seems abstract. So here is a specific example: prank,

Origin of an incredible campaign

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkanltqwdhc

My agency came with the theme “You are not you as you’re Hungary” for a snickers campaign, which became one of the most successful campaigns in advertising history. It launched in 2010 with a super bowl advertisement, “tackled” the legendary Betty White in a football game, and expanded and localized in 83 countries around the world.

To date, customers ask how we got this idea. They want to know that market research inspired us to insight, then basic ideas, and finally the betty white script and campaign that inspired millions to eat more candy times. People always believe that this was a function of brand-ease oriented, data-driven, logical cuts: When you are hungry, definitely you function irrationally.

But we did not reach that insight formed completely. Here is the real story.

When snickers were first built in Chicago in 1930, it was as a filling snack bar when you were hungry. It has changed a bit about it. But a few years in the twenty -first century turn, that permanent truth had started becoming human, and the snickers fell to number 7 in the chocolate category.

Became a challenge: How do you make something new and fresh from the same old thing? The line like “Hungry? A snickers” is not just going to cut it.

So what did we do here. David Lubers, who was the chief creative officer of BBDO at the time, gave assignments to five teams of people, who were busy writing all kinds of (bad) super bowl scripts. David then reviewed all of them – and buried deeply inside one of his scripts, barely focused on himself, it was the line “You were not hungry when you were hungry.”

David admitted how powerful this idea could be. It was, he said, “So flexible and stretch that it could go anywhere in the world was necessary to go to it.” And this is what happened. But to find an idea to this powerful, they first needed to generate that huge amount of bad ideas – to identify a kernel of greatness for David, see its implications, share their insight with your colleagues, and get the necessary support for it.

How to reproduce this process

It may look simple, but it is not, and it rarely occurs systematically. Instead, for this something is necessary that I call a creative shift – Deliberate and strategic option To design situations that will highlight creativity when an organization is most needed.

Here is described how to be deliberate and strategic about the production of bad ideas, so that you can find the first one.

First of all, remember this: Most people do not understand the creative process. Instead, they often say such things: A good idea can come from anyoneOr they can say, There are no bad thoughtsBut those concepts instigated creativity, rather they pressurize everyone to complete it. After all, who cares that everyone can come with a great if there is no “no bad idea”.

Therefore, to be really creative in a group, you have to flip these ideas around. You have to tell your team:

1. Bad thoughts can come from everyone.

2. I want as much bad thoughts as possible in a short time.

Why? Let’s start with human nature. People are afraid to make mistakes, so when they are challenged to come with a lot of ideas, they often stop. They think they are on a high wire, in which there is no place to deviate. They start wondering: What will happen if I am wrong? What if I look foolish in front of my boss and colleagues? Will I be convicted if the idea does not work?

But when you especially invite people to come Bad thoughtsAnd to do this in a short time, people start thinking in more open-minded and imaginative ways-because they are no longer forced by the need to be right, or good, or luxurious.

This is the fastest way of success

Perhaps this process seems incompetent. Why consider a lot of bad ideas and consider, when you can focus your efforts on the right instead?

Why is it here: Most of the time, we have found, nine out of ten ideas are not just good.

So instead of trying to generate good ideas (which is incompetent and unreal), your initial goal is just to generate a lot IdeasIdea volume is a good thing, as the best ideas often begin as unrealistic parts of poor ideas.

Remember snickers examples: The winning idea was an otherwise buried in the humor script. David was what Stumble On that, and then Caught it.

As a leader, it is important to completely change the way of viewing the idea-generation process and making a place to create a place where they are encouraged for a lot of bad ideas. If you Sure Award people for anything at this level, reward them for the worst ideas.

From there, you will highlight creativity. And you will get the idea that matters.

adapted from The Creative Shift: How to strengthen your organization by making a place for new ideas Copyright © 2025 by Andrew Robertson. Available from Basic Venture, Hatchet Book Group, an impression of Inc.