Creative Brief Examples that Work

Hey,

Last week was easy—we tackled client briefs. Today? Meet my daily nemesis: the creative brief.

But here’s the truth: a great creative brief isn’t about ticking boxes—it’s about inspiring bold, brilliant ideas. Pat Fallon nailed it: “If the creative brief itself isn’t creative, its authors have no right to expect brilliance.”

Let that sink in.

Why Briefs Matter

Traditional advertising briefs have one job: guide creativity without killing it. They provide critical facts (target audience, business goals) and a fresh, inspiring insight that sparks great ideas. A good brief clarifies the problem without dictating the solution. As the saying goes, a brief tells creatives what to do, not how to do it.

Yet, advertising is often weighed down by unnecessary complexity and jargon-filled nonsense. Amid all that noise, one truth stands out: Every legendary campaign started with a clear, compelling brief.

Here’s the uncomfortable reality: according to Association of National Advertisers, 58% of marketers think their briefs are great, but just 27% of agencies agree (Tomfishburne and Tomfishburne, “The Creative Brief Gap - Marketoonist | Tom Fishburne.”). That’s not a gap, it’s a chasm. If your brief isn’t crystal-clear, neither is your work.

The Classic One-Pager

When I started university, professors handed me the “classic one-page brief” like it was advertising’s holy grail. Short, focused, crystal-clear—theoretically perfect. But in reality? Nobody read it. They skimmed, nodded politely, then completely ignored it.

The classic one-page brief usually covers:

• Objective: What exactly are we trying to achieve?

• Audience: Who (precisely) are we talking to?

• Insight: One sharp human truth.

• Single-minded proposition: One powerful idea we must communicate.

• Mandatories: Non-negotiable like logos or formats.

It wasn’t until later that I realised: the one-pager doesn’t work because it’s short—it works because it forces you to cut through your own bullshit. Done right, it’s clarity on steroids. Done wrong, it’s just another page nobody reads.

Real-world example

Saatchi & Saatchi’s Brief Model

Years ago, Saatchi & Saatchi reshaped creative brief thinking with a deceptively simple model:

• Objective: Clear, measurable business goal.

• Issue: The real barrier to overcome.

• Insight: The human truth, not product truth, that solves it.

• Challenge: Ambitious, exciting, not task-oriented.

• Organising Idea: Emotionally engaging concept to inspire every stakeholder.

They did multiple good ad campaigns because every brief started with brutal honesty about the brand’s real problem—often uncomfortable truths clients were afraid to admit. They leaned into human insights, not product features. Each brief became a conversation starter, not just an instruction manual.

Crispin Porter + Bogusky’s Model

CP+B transformed Burger King from a boring fast-food joint into a cultural provocateur, simply by framing briefs around tensions people cared about. They asked uncomfortable questions and wrote briefs built around controversy, disruption, and honest human truths.

• At a Glance: A surprising, differentiated idea.

• Tension: The cultural anxiety your target feels.

• Question: Provocative and culture-shifting. Dinner conversation-worthy.

• Talk Value: How the brand fuels real conversation and dialogue.

“Whopper Freakout”? The tension: “How would you feel if your favorite burger disappeared?” It wasn’t about selling burgers—it was about making Burger King relevant in culture again. It worked because the brief was gutsy enough to spark real, raw reactions from consumers.

Other Types of Briefs

One-Sentence Briefs:

Some of the most memorable campaigns started with just one sentence: Volkswagen’s “Think Small,” Airbnb’s “Belong Anywhere.” A powerful one-liner brief isn’t your entire strategy—it’s the North Star. Nail your core idea in one sharp sentence, and everything else falls into place.

For example: “We want [target] to feel [emotion] about [brand] because [insight].”

Creative Springboards:

Briefs shouldn’t strangle creativity—they should spark it. Agencies like to pair a short brief with inspiration packs: mood boards, playlists, cultural insights, or provocative questions. Turn your briefing into a jumping-off point, not a prison sentence.

Always-On (Agile) Briefs:

Digital marketing never sleeps—why should your briefs? Brands like Google embrace ongoing “mini-briefs” that evolve weekly, aligning fast-moving campaigns with real-time data. Think clear, short, and constantly updated.

For example: “As a [persona], I need [information/entertainment], so that [benefit].”

My Favourite Brief Model

The best brief structure I’ve ever used is Julian Cole’s elegant framework:

Here’s how Spotify might’ve used it to reconnect with older listeners:

GET: Gen X music lovers

WHO: Think Spotify is just for teenagers and influencers

TO: Reconsider Spotify as their personal music archive

BY: Reminding them Spotify reconnects them to good times, no matter how much the world has changed.

It’s clean, sharp, and tells a compelling story without dictating the creative solution. And, spoiler—it works.

Final Thoughts

Briefs aren’t documents. They’re stories, provocations, challenges. Done right, they’re sparks that ignite creative brilliance. Done badly, they’re creative kryptonite.

If your creative teams hate your briefs, they’re not difficult people—you just haven’t given them anything worth loving.

Next time you open a blank brief, remember Fallon’s wisdom. If the brief isn’t creative, you have no right to expect brilliance. Your move.

Best,
Marti