Concerning the inventive benefits of borders
We live in an age of extreme constraints that affect our lives in every way, including how we work and what we do. Although this may seem negative, our advertising correspondent Ben Kay explains the positive benefits that can bring limits
I once worked for a company that had limitless money, no real deadlines, and a great team of dedicated, intelligent strategists. It was a disaster.
Nobody made decisions because there was no need to commit to anything. The company's problems were neither urgent nor significant. If we never made a single ad, it would just keep going, and in a way it would be easier than actually sending something into production.
What we needed were restrictions. Limits. Limits.
Even in my well-funded paradise, all creativity is created despite a number of obstacles that improve and control the bottom line. I had to overcome the paralysis of choice that resulted from endless possibilities and no real problems.
Your difficulty could be a tiny budget, a tight deadline, an unavailable director, a poorly chosen media plan, an 85-page short, idiotic trademark policy, or maybe a virus that means you have to use stock footage or drone shots and zoom calls to effectively convey a brand message.