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The Big Idea
Go out on a limb; that’s where the fruit is!
by Dave Gardner
Principal/Creative Director
Alex Kroll best summed it up when he was Chairman of Young & Rubicam:
“Only the unusual in communication can be unusually effective.”
This has been my mantra in producing, writing and directing breakthrough film and video for some of the most demanding clients in business. In business communication, our job is much, much more than to merely expose an audience to the message. We need to...
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make sure they get it
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convince them to believe it
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help them to remember it
If we can successfully do all these things, then we can rely on the audience to act on it. After all, action is ultimately our goal in most business communication.
The Big Idea Defined
In our quest to accomplish these things, I’ve found the holy grail of communication to be “The Big Idea.” I’ve stolen this moniker from a wonderful book I happened across years ago. The book, “What’s the Big Idea?” was written by advertising guru George Lois. Lois’ claim to fame is the original Volkswagen Beetle “Think Small” campaign in the 1960s. He was also responsible for “I want my Maypo!” in ’68 and “I want my MTV!” in ’82. George also tells in his book how he came up with the brand name, “Lean Cuisine.” So he’s no slouch. And his book did a superb job of articulating what I came to believe in my years of directing corporate videos.
According to George Lois, The Big Idea is...
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an idea that explains and illuminates through powerful and succinct images and ideas
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a surprising solution to a communication problem, expressed in memorable and/or graphic imagery
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a strong central concept or image
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seemingly outrageous
And I agree with George in every way. But I want to take our definition a step further, because out-of-the-box thinking is just like a powerful Indy car. It can be very hard to beat, but it can be dangerous when used inappropriately. Unusual communication alone does not guarantee great results. My refinement of the definition helps us harness the power of the unusual so that it’s truly effective.
The Big Idea...
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links the concept to the message (makes them inseparable)
This is a critical distinction. Goofy, outrageous or even simply unexpected concepts may succeed in getting an audience’s attention, but they won’t bring the audience along to the proper conclusion unless they are inexorably linked to that conclusion. This is why many executives are afraid to try humor or other daring notions in their communications. And this is why conversations about the creative commercials on the Super Bowl telecast inevitably include this comment about at least one of the spots: “It was crazy, zany, hilarious, but I don’t remember who the commercial was for.” When that happens, you know someone has been driving out-of-the-box thinking without a license!
Here are some examples of The Big Idea.
The classic Apple Macintosh “1984” commercial was aired only one time. Yet it is still remembered and discussed. Why? Because it was bold, risky and surprising. And it communicated the most important features of the Mac – the product is different, it will take on big blue, and it will change the way things are done.
In this recruiting video for a major toy manufacturer with headquarters in Iowa, the central message was that this community and company have a surprising amount to offer. Our big idea was to play up the common misconceptions. Our interviewer wandered the halls and streets (and, yes, corn fields) looking for proof that this was an unexciting company in a sleepy little town in the middle of a cornfield. He is thwarted in his efforts by the answers he gets.
A major airline was introducing “cafeteria style” benefits to its work force back in the 1980s. The rollout video was designed to familiarize employees with the choices they would need to make, but the one thing we wanted to ensure our audience got: they needed to make 12 choices on their enrollment form and return it by May 26. In the video employees are sent on a “Mission Impossible” trail, following clues that lead them through the airport and their 12 choices. This video was so unusual that flight crews were begging for their chance to see it.
Finding The Big Idea
Now you can recognize a Big Idea when you see one. That’s great, but I’m sure you’d love some advice about creating “Big Idea” concepts. In truth, The Big Idea is out there. It’s just waiting to be discovered. Here are some of George Lois’ suggestions for tracking it down:
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Start with a blank screen and an open mind. Throw out all assumptions.
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Toss out conventional rules, traditions and trends
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Don’t run from problems, rush to greet them. The problem holds The Big Idea, the solution.
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You don’t create the idea; you snare it from the air as it floats around you.
This last suggestion is invaluable. Somewhere in the challenge lies the solution. You’ll find it in the shower, sitting in rush-hour traffic or in a free-for-all, uninhibited brainstorming session with your team. For me, the key is to start with this mother of all questions:
“What is the one thing we want the audience to do, feel, or remember?”
If they get nothing else from this piece, what should they come away with? The answer to this question should drive your discussion, your thoughts, and virtually every decision you make during the course of the project. According to George, “What outstanding communication needs more than rules is unconstipated thinking. Better to be reckless than careful. Better to be bold than safe.”
Yes, I’m afraid risk is inherent in reaching for greatness. Nothing ventured; nothing gained. But handled correctly, using The Big Idea in your communications is a calculated risk. You really stack the odds in your favor when you make sure your humorous or other outrageous concept has a strong connection to your central message.
Now that you understand The Big Idea, go out and tell the world. Better yet, show the world. May the force be with you, and just in case it’s not, paste one or two of these wonderful gems next to your keyboard for inspiration:
“Safe, conventional work is a ticket to oblivion.”
George Lois
“Art is the lie that tells the truth.”
Pablo Picasso
“protecting against a loss is also to protect against a win;...to eliminate the risk is to eliminate the reach that makes winning possible; which is to breed plodding mediocrity.”
Joe Camp
Creator of “Benji”
from his autobiography, Underdog.
