What is Big idea?
What it actually means. Why it matters.
The definition of a big idea in the creative industry, especially in advertising, is actually simple. An idea that works on almost everything. That's it.
Sometimes I get some ideas for doing crazy OOH or some for KVs. But when I realize it doesn't work on other platforms or mediums, that's not a big idea. It can be a good idea but not big enough. And big ideas don't come easily. You can imagine how hard it's to generate an idea that works on everything and also aligns with brand culture, objectives, and personality. It's extremely hard. Personally, I can generate thousands of ideas every year but only a handful of them could sit in the category of big idea. It's that hard.
Where Ideas Actually Come From
Last week I was reading a book called 1+1=11. One thing that stuck with me is about how you get new ideas. New ideas mostly come from the combination of old ideas. It's strange, right? We think our brain creates something out of nowhere as a new idea, but actually it's just connecting the dots. One of my ways to train my brain to get new fresh ideas is by studying new things and getting new hobbies. The more you learn about new things, the more your brain can work by connecting all these little dots from everywhere you learn. That's really wonderful.
