The birth of the big idea – II

In the first part of the story, ‘The birth of the big idea’, which was published in agencyfaqs! on March 2, the creative director duo from McCann-Erickson, Manish Bhatt and Raghu Bhat, said that they get their big ideas from what they call ‘the library’.

Similarly, for Ryan Menezes, national creative director, Mudra, the mantra is solitude, while Josy Paul, national creative director, David, usually goes for a jog at the Mahalaxmi Racecourse in Mumbai or just a walk anywhere.

However, Hanoz Mogralia, creative director, Saatchi & Saatchi, disagrees. “Sleep on it,” he states firmly. “If the idea isn’t coming, there’s no point in sitting in office. Normally, after a tiring day, I shut off my computer, go home and sleep peacefully. I wake up at 5 am and, more often than not, that is when I have the idea in my head.”

He explains that when the conscious mind is unable to solve a problem, one should let one’s sub-conscious take over. He gives the example of a TVC for Playwin Game of Fortune, on which Mogralia worked a few years ago. The brief was to convey the fact that there was no catch in the game – that there was complete transparency in its operations.

Mogralia was facing a tough time with the concept, so he decided to sleep over it. The next day, he came to office armed with an idea. The concept was that of a young girl imploring her godfather (played by Boman Irani) for impossible birthday gifts, such as an island and getting Michael Jackson to dance for her. The godfather checks with his henchman and agrees to fulfil all her wishes. But when she demands to be the winner of the Playwin lottery, the henchman gives up and says he can do anything except rig the Playwin Game of Fortune.

“At least for me, nine out of ten issues get sorted out when I sleep,” asserts Mogralia.

KS ‘Chax’ Chakravarty, national creative director, Rediffusion DY&R, believes that listening to music or watching a ‘mindless music channel’ is one way of doing it. “Learn to switch off and allow the idea to come on its own,” advises Chax. He says that the best ideas hit him in the morning, when his mind is fresh. In fact, he is among those people who, at times, get ideas while sitting on the toilet seat!

“Quite often, I also get ideas in my car, when I’m on my way to office in the morning,” Chax adds. Clearly, Chax is a morning person.

Paul of David also keeps an Observation Book, where he writes down whatever he observes about human behaviour. “One never knows when small things can become big ideas. The way a man lights a match-stick, or even how a person tricks another to manoeuvre his car into a parking slot, can all be powerful insights for an ad some day. I jot all these down in my little book.”

One interesting nugget that few people are aware of is that Paul carries his resignation letter in his pocket all the time. What does that have to do with anything?

“It allows me freedom of thought,” Paul explains. “In the creative field, one must always be ready to lose one’s job. It is very important to come to office, free of any baggage, pressure or bias. That is when one can think freely.”

Paul signs off with his creative motto: “When one has nothing to lose, one wins.”

© 2006 agencyfaqs!