This blog started life a few weeks ago as a quick chat between a few of us about how varied the briefs we receive are. In fact, we used the words ‘lesser spotted’ as a way to insinuate the rarity of a good brief – which struck us as funny at the time (you had to be there!). That said, as an agency, it’s our job to interpret all sorts of briefs - the good, the bad and the ugly - and boy do we get all types!If you’re one of our clients, please, please don’t take this personally. As the descriptions below will clarify, you always give us ‘The Spot On’ brief. But, if like us, you’re an agency or consultancy then you’ll recognise many of the following. Either way, please enjoy! After all, it’s just a bit of fun.
We’ve collated a set of definitions here, so lets start with an easy one…
The General – common-or-garden variety, a combination of many other formats. Try as we’d like, we can’t complain at this one.
The Face Dump - not as disturbing as the name suggests. This baby is done face-to-face and involves receiving a torrent of letters, words or phrases, with some corporate speak thrown in whilst frantically trying to write some notes and coordinate them into something usable. Best followed-up in writing to ensure everyone knows what the hell is going on.
The Post it - a brief of few words (depending on the handwriting). You get everything you need from this tiny yellow square. But don't lose it! (There’s no copy).
The Squeaky Bum – with a deadline so tight, the project is due before you even get the brief! Evolutionists believe this develops from many other briefs due to being left in the pipeline too long.
The ‘Spot On’ - nearly extinct, unfortunately, but this is the Holy Grail of briefs - accurate, informative, everything supplied and with an achievable, realistic deadline. Clearly, you can see why it's hard to find. (Oh did we forget to say? If you’re one of our outstanding clients, this is you!)
The Forward (aka, the email) - the name, no-doubt, hints at the history behind this. Work through this and come back to me with any questions is the usual opening line. Quite a common category.
The Mission Impossible – da da dada, da da dada (it’s the theme tune for god’s sake!!!) you already know you’re never going to get this right before you start. Usually accompanied by note taking, polite nodding and fulsome agreement (outwardly) whilst inwardly your thinking you have got to be kidding me, you’ve got no chance!
The Train Wreck or Car Crash (depending on your preferred mode of transport!) – the ‘Cuckoo’ of our world (now we’re really mixing our metaphors), but a brief that is usually determined to inhabit another brief’s slot in the agency planning. Its arrival cues mass disruption for everyone it touches.
The Scrabbler or Tales of the Unexpected - generally the result when Creative approaches Project Manager or Client, followed by intense bursts of activity by that person ranging from calls to emails, bag rummaging to bin rummaging. Fingers crossed with this one! You never know, you might get lucky.
The Buggers Muddle - the mongrel of the team. Not all bad, depending on the interbreeding that has taken place. Often, you can find this is actually a workable brief... well, sometimes would be more accurate.
The Long Distance - the Jekyll and Hyde of the Agency world (my, there goes another metaphor - we’re throwing them around left, right and centre!). You just never know what will hit you - a garbled voicemail, a long-winded warble interspersed with static, 'no service' or perhaps even a pinpoint accurate summary. The long distance is a lonely experience and truly an unknown.
The Short but Sweet - usually to be found in a corridor, kitchen or doorway. If you live your life by a different code, you might receive a Short and Sweet in the bathroom! Depending on the varied complexities, relationships and frequency of touchpoints this is a true unknown quantity!
The Replicator - "You know. It's just like the other one you did. There, that's the brief". Now this can go either way and usually evolves into a 'Spot On' or a 'Buggers Muddle'. Not all bad.
The Clueless - yep, the name gives this black sheep away, for both giver and receiver. A rarity in the world this is usually found lacking, in almost every sense. Our advice? Well, it’s best avoided until it reaches maturity and evolves into one of the above, all of which are more useful.
And finally…
The GFY - fortunately a rarity, this lovely acronym is usually taken, digested, discussed in detail before it can be identified. Always handle with extreme care! This brief inevitably needs to be passed back with some major reworking so as to avoid upset. And it has the potential to evolve into any one of the above. Like we say, a rarity!
There you go! That’s your lot. If you have any that we’ve missed then please leave your comments. And if you don’t recognize one of your own briefs in the above list – then your kidding yourself!!!
Posted by Simon Johnson
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