It’s Throwback Time!
“Brevity is the soul of wit.” Said Shakespeare of One Minute Briefs.
Not really.
Although he could have done!
It’s a great line.
Ironic though. The line is delivered by Polonius in Hamlet. A man who is not known for his brevity. Nor his wit.
I suppose, the dramatic irony of knowing this, makes it an AWESOME line!
Thank you Shakespeare. You clever little sausage!
He’s right though. Polonius.
Being brief is a talent.
Just ask Thomas Jefferson:
“The most valuable of all talents is that of never using two words when one will do.”
Some of the best ideas come to you in a flash. Some of the worst concepts are devised by committee after a long, drawn out process of discussion and debate.
Therein lies the beauty of One Minute Briefs. An addictive creative challenge devised by Nick Entwistle of The Bank of Creativity (and now Trunk Agency).
One rule. One Minute. Create an ad.
As brief as a brief gets.
One Minute Briefs gets you thinking. Sharpens your writing. Inspires creativity.
And it doesn’t take much time.
Since discovering @OneMinuteBriefs on Twitter, my creative disposition has changed and my output has greatly improved.
As a creative tool, there really is nothing like it. It’s perfect practice for the real thing. And I’m unashamedly addicted to it.
Some of my best ideas and concepts have only taken a minute of my time to devise.
Whilst walking back to work from lunch, the idea for my winning entry to the Man City Manager brief just popped into my head.
Half way through a tuna salad wrap, I devised another winning entry for advertising an electrician!
Notice the theme of my inspiration?
And then there are all the other entries. Some good. Some bad. All brief.
The effects of this regular creative work are long-lasting.
A whole concept for the Audi R8 just materialised from a brief about sports cars.
It has developed into a portfolio piece that I am particularly proud of. A piece that I continue to develop. All because I took a minute out of my day to be creative.
Take a minute out of your day to be creative.
Follow @OneMinuteBriefs on Twitter. Check out the OMB blog or Facebook Page to see all past briefs and winners.
It works for me. It’ll work for you.
Remember. Some of our greatest experiences only take one minute!
Postscript 2018
A lot has happened since I published the original version of this piece.
Year on year, One Minute Briefs has continued to grow and is now a Verified Account. It has developed into a massive online community of nearly 16,000 followers. Many are regular contributors. And these contributors are made up of a range of industry experts, award-winners (including Chip Shop Awards Grand Prix Winners in 2016 and 2017), students and hobbyists.
It has its own OMBoard of OMBassadors (of which I am one)- advocates and acolytes who help promote and build this unique advertising platform.
Collaboration is encouraged. Criticism is constructive. Discussion is supportive.
Everyone improves.
Anyone can be an OMBLE. Anyone can win. And win Big!
Businesses are regularly seeing the benefit of using One Minute Briefs as a means of advertising and promoting their products and services. As are charities. And there are big prizes on offer.
However, the biggest prize of all is one that hasn’t changed since OMB’s inception.
Your creative mojo will go into overdrive.
And you’ll notice it!
So what are you waiting for?
Advertise…
Toothpicks…
Go!
Gareth
