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The iconic ‘Angel of the North’ wouldn't exist without sculptor Antony Gormley's dedication to finding skilled metal workers from the North East’s fading shipbuilding industry. This 152ft wide Angel, crafted from 6mm steel ship plate, symbolises the region and the power of creative collaboration when diverse viewpoints come together.
Yet, collaboration between brands and agencies is often challenging. A Cannes Lion study reveals that 45% of agencies are frustrated by their brand partners' lack of creative ambition, while brands feel creatively stifled by their CEOs. Successful creative partnerships, like last year’s big effectiveness winners McCains with Adam and Eve and Ikea with Mother, show the value of long-term collaboration. But how can we harness this mutual desire for stronger ideas without waiting a decade?
Because collaboration is easier said than done, especially with brand and agencies’ different cultures, there’s five things I use to keep the full team in creative flow:
1. Inspiration Shot
At the start of any shared journey, it’s useful to agree where you want to go. I recommend beginning with a creative ambition session where both agency and brand teams share inspiring work relevant to the brief. This energizes and aligns everyone on the same creative vision early on, ensuring that both parties are on the same page from the start.
2. Seek New Hidden Gems
To go somewhere new, you often need to find some extra fuel. Instead of relying on the usual segmentation, brands and agencies should seek fresh insights. This might involve having a fresh angle for consumer research or bringing in unexpected experts, like designers, taxi drivers or scientists. For our Bupa ‘This is health’ brand platform, inspiration came from a chat with their Deputy Chief Medical Officer.
3. Co-create Strategic Spaces
This stage is not for the faint-hearted but can work brilliantly if you have brand side marketers experienced in creative strategy. Recently, I ran a workshop with brand and agencies from different markets, to develop some strong strategic spaces fast and gauge which had most heat. A strong voice from the agency creative lead is crucial here, keeping the teams honest on whether the strategic spaces will result in a great creative brief.
4. Codify Impact
A flashpoint in the process is the first stage creative presentation, where sometimes there’s a difficult discussion of whether ideas are ‘on brief’ or not. During the first creative presentation, it’s helpful to set clear criteria to assess ideas linked to the campaign objectives, such as their potential to stand out, evoke emotion, or motivate people to act. This framing helps the full team keep their eye on the prize of creative potential, without being swayed by fixable, executional details.
5. Embrace the Mess
Creative ideation is messy and best ideas are often ones that are blindingly simple, but not obvious from the start. It’s essential that brands and agencies keep an open mind, leaving room for lots of debate and handbrake turns, leaving the door open for unexpected creative ideas. It’s good practice to have a rule that no idea is dismissed until at least the second creative meeting, so all have the potential to work through any problems and flourish.
Creative collaboration can be tough, especially in new relationships. But just as the Angel of the North rose from a blend of diverse viewpoints, so too can our creative partnerships. By investing time together and setting clear rules of engagement, brands and agencies can create the standout ideas that everyone can be proud of.
By Charlotte Mulley
Head of Strategy
