Motivational Monday: ‘The Idea Catchers’ by DDB Limelight

By Claire Daniel 

In case you’re currently suffering through a case of the late Mondays, DDB Group Asia Pacific (@DDBLimelight) recently released a video entitled “The Idea Catchers.”

According to a blog post on the agency’s website, the video, first imagined by Regional Creative Director Andy Fackrell seeks to honor “the people behind the work who constantly observe, think and meticulously deliver thought-provoking ideas, which have had an impact on popular culture.”

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In other words, it’s a defense of advertising creatives everywhere.

From the blog (quote by Fackrell himself):

“The project initially came about because we wanted to address the real issue of how much it costs to create great work. And it wasn’t until I started writing the script, that I realized this wasn’t about dollars and cents, it’s about the value we should be putting on our ideas, that ideas take time and that we give them away too easily. If the development of ideas is threatened, the industry’s ability to sell products is also in jeopardy. Marketers need to give their agencies the space to let good ideas thrive in order to create iconic brands.”

John Zeigler, Chairman and CEO of DDB Group Asia Pacific India & Japan, added, “Our industry faces many challenges. But one of the most threatening is the commoditization of creativity. Some clients believe they can buy creative ideas as they would stationery – the ‘Idea Catchers’ sets out to change this thinking.”

‘The Idea Catchers’ was produced for clients, and is dedicated to the best ideas of the communications industry, honouring more than 30 advertisements from some of the world’s most impressive advertising agencies.

Consider it the much-needed pep talk or long-overdue thank you’ve been looking for from your clients or boss.

And here’s a helpful transcript.

Transcript:

What value should be put on our ideas? Ideas that entertain, that convince, that last?

And those who think of them? How do we value those people who think best in the shower, who can recount a movie they watched when they were seven or read comics at 34?

Who will study people while they wait to board their plane and scour every page of the inflight magazine?

Who will endlessly daydream, living on alien planets in other people’s shoes?

The Idea Catchers are those that bring their live and dreams into their work taking experiences they’ve had as a child, or as a parent, or haven’t yet had? Sharing slices of life with that blank piece of paper that stares up at them every day – the timesheet, its partner in crime.

A great idea can do the job of 10, or 12. It could be one insight, one piece of wisdom spoken by an Indian wood carver when asked, “How do you make the elephant so lifelike?” I just cut away the bit that doesn’t look like an elephant.

It’s that: Insights, experience, and that comes at a price we shouldn’t give away.

Creativity takes time the best solution is never the first one, the obvious one, but the beautiful ones—they just look that way in hindsight.

We’re not machines that churn out 5-minute headlines atop of Getty stocks.

It’s about life experiences resulting in an idea you never had thought of but totally wish you had.

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