I Don't Like It

Back when I was a creative director I always used to get into arguments with copywriters and art directors. They'd show me something and I'd say, "I don't like it."

Then we'd debate whether it was okay for me to kill an idea just because I didn't like it, or whether I needed a reason for not liking it.

I was reminded of this last week when I read a piece in Adweek called "Why Do Clients Deserve The Advertising They Get?" In the piece, the author says...

'It's hard to approve advertising you don't love. But if you must, at least give more of a reason than "I don't like it." That is unactionable feedback... That almost always leads to mediocre advertising.'

I couldn't disagree more.

Some ideas just suck; some are ugly; some are stupid; some are just not up to the taste level you aspire to.

As a creative director your responsibility is not just to compare the ads to the brief. Your job is to bring some type of aesthetic sensibility to the work as well. Aesthetics aren't about reasons, they're about taste and opinions.

I was a copywriter and I understand that hearing the words "I just don't like it" may not be the most satisfying criticism. Nonetheless, it's often the most appropriate and the most honest.

And Now For Something Completely Different...
I often (maybe too often) write about the baloney and deception that passes for research in the digital advertising realm, especially among those who have a vested interest in promoting it. It's nice to know that there are some in this realm that aren't full of shit and are eager to look at the facts with an open mind.