The Rant: What’s Easier to Put Down Than It is to Lift Up?

By / December 12, 2008 /

Volume 18 In a Series By Felix

There are plenty of correct answers to that question. But when applied to this gritty world we call advertising, the first thing that comes to mind (for me anyway) is the work. It is way easier to put down ideas than to praise them.

There are several schools of thought on how to respond to creative work. I’m taken back to my first client presentation in my first agency. Big city, big client (the agency’s bread and butter, don’t fuck this one up), and a big campaign with big money behind it. Basically, everything was big…apart from my confidence.

As it turned out, we had a pretty fine idea for the campaign and it was chosen to be presented. So we dug the grime out from under our nails, combed what little hair we had and stood outside the board room awaiting our turn.

The first team came out, sweating and looking pale. The second team headed into the board room nervously, and the same thing happened 10 minutes later. The writer looked at us and said “tough room” as they walked off. Then, we walked into that room like we were walking The Green Mile.

There, staring at us, were six of the most cruel-looking, pompous assholes you’ve ever seen. We stepped forward, introduced ourselves and presented the work. It was a solid campaign. Funny, bang on brand, unusual, it was a winner.

There was no reaction. Not a chuckle. Not a smile. Not even a blinking eyelid. There was about 30 seconds of silence, even the CD looked nervous. Then the client said “leave the boards, you can go.” That was it. That was our big moment.

We found out later that our work was well-received. Really? It looked like we’d just walked in, dropped trou and shat out a steamer on the desk. But this was, as I soon learned, typical of this client and typical of most clients in general. It’s easier to give no feedback and say nothing than to say something is good. Why? Because being indifferent has no major comebacks. But if you praise an idea out loud, and the idea fails, you’ve just backed a losing horse.

I never thought I’d have the same problem with creatives though, but it happens way more than I would like. Instead of lifting up the good work, it’s a whole lot easier to put down the work that isn’t as good. I’m not saying that you can’t say shit work is not shit work. I’ve been around long enough to have developed a pretty thick skin. And if all of the work is bad, you deserve to have your ass kicked around the room.

But if you present three to four ideas and one of them is killer, why is it so hard to immediately come out and say it? If you’re a CD (or a client) who looks for the good work first, you give a response like “That’s the one. That’s the idea. Forget the rest, you’ve hit gold there. Nice work, now blow it out.” The same work reviewed by a Negative Nancy produces an entirely different reaction: “Well, I don’t like this campaign at all. This is way off. Same goes for this one. And the third option is awful. Really really bad. That leaves us with one. Let’s push forward with that one.”

Same work, same outcome, but one review is inspiring and the other demoralizing. One says “yes, you did it, your work is good” and the other says “one of the four pieces you did was not completely awful.” One lifts you, and the work, up. The other puts it down.

Recently, a bunch of headlines my team presented was greeted with this gem: “let me tell you the ones I don’t like and we’ll see what’s left.” Talk about grim. Instead of promoting one of the headlines to a higher position, it was like watching a sniper take out your best soldiers. And the headlines that remained, they didn’t seem like winners, they were more like cowering survivors.

If you’re in a position to choose creative ideas, whether you’re an AD, CD, account manager or even a client, think about it in a positive way. What floats to the top as a good idea? Which ones shines, or makes an instant connection with you? Which one nails the strategy in a creative way? When you find it (if you find it) make sure you point it out first. Don’t be afraid to stand behind that idea and say it’s good. Whatever you do, don’t go in there with your negative napalm and blast everything you hate, leaving one scarred idea hanging on the wall with no dignity. Remember, it’s way easier to put work down than it is to lift it up. Do the right thing, not the easy thing.