Note From Tongal: “Everything is a Creative Opportunity" is part of a series of Tongal Community-written blog posts that were originally sourced in the Tongal Blog Open Call Project. Read more Tongal Community-written posts here and then Pitch us a topic you'd like to write about for the Tongal Blog!
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People say that necessity is the mother of invention, and in many ways, it is, because if you truly are forced to face a problem, then you’re also being forced to find a creative solution.
Adapt or die - you can’t argue with that. But on the other hand, I find that some of the most satisfying creative tends to arise when there’s nothing to overcome. No problem. No challenge. No brief. Just a nice idea that adds value. But because there’s no brief, no money behind it and no big campaign, these little nuggets of creativity are often hidden gems, tucked away in the last place you’d expect to find them. Here are just a few fun examples . . .
In-Product Packaging
Unencumbered by the all-too-common desire to do what everyone else is doing, Innocent is very well known for its whimsical copy and playful tone of voice, and this example is exactly the kind of thing that really sets them apart from other brands. I mean, how many people would even think to look at the bottom of a carton of juice?
IMAGE VIA: https://www.flickr.com/photos/duncan/2084134925
Lo and behold, once one brand has done it, it starts to catch on. I have no doubt this next nugget of creative copy was inspired by the Innocent carton, but it’s still fun enough to raise a smile.
IMAGE VIA: https://twitter.com/marielnorton/status/1017354813858820096
On Your Website
Beyond the real world of retail, this lovely little addition to a login page cleverly turns something entirely dull and forgettable like entering your email address and password, into something fun and memorable. (Hint: be sure to watch until the password entry.)
IMAGE VIA: https://twitter.com/pablostanley/status/966456151901532160
Or how about reimagining something as universal as agency team photos? I remember stumbling upon these awesome cinemagraphs on the Scorch London website a few years ago, before cinemagraphs were really popular, or even widely known – and they blew me away. What a great way to totally change something that almost every agency has, and turn them into something no one has.
IMAGE VIA: https://www.behance.net/gallery/26248269/Scorch-Cinemagraphs
Next up is hosting company Kualo, who even decided to sprinkle a little imagination into something you wouldn’t ever deliberately look for - their 404 page. Here, you don’t just get an error message, you land right in the thick of a customised Space Invaders game. Pretty cool. And what’s more, if you can score 1,000 points, you unlock a special discount code for their services.
IMAGE VIA: https://www.kualo.co.uk/404
On a Business Card
Don’t tell me, you’ve seen dozens and dozens of creative business cards. All types of ideas for all types businesses. This is true, but what I really like about this one is how incredibly simple it is. It’s a thing of design beauty.
IMAGE VIA: https://twitter.com/zoeyjsalsbury/status/979566206813376512
Singing Bear Shop: https://www.instagram.com/p/Bg_z-HYlpOV/
In Selling Yourself
What about you then, as a Creative? It’s a little obvious to say, but whether you’re a Copywriter, an Art Director, a Designer or an anything-else-er, the best way to get a job or a raise or a promotion as a creative, is simply to be creative.
A few of you might have already seen this bold move from a hungry young graduate this year, but it’s well worth sharing. This young woman sprayed herself head to toe in gold in order to become a living version of the ‘Fearless Girl’ statue and instantly land a placement at McCann.
IMAGE VIA: https://nowthisnews.com/videos/her/woman-scores-job-by-showing-up-dressed-as-fearless-girl-statue
Some great ideas aren’t that much effort. This guy had the simple insight that Creative Directors are vain and probably Google themselves - and he was right. So he picked five top Creative Directors he wanted to work for and bought search ads that appeared under their names. He got four interviews and landed a job, for a total cost of $6. Nice.
IMAGE VIA: https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/creative-lands-dream-job-6-google-campaign/1003185
How about selling yourself to people outside the industry? I personally had a lot of fun writing an online dating profile like an Amazon product listing. I mean, you can’t describe yourself as a Creative Copywriter and then write a profile the same as everyone else’s. Where’s the fun in that?
IMAGE VIA: Paul Bond
Einstein is often credited as saying “Creativity is intelligence having fun,” and I think this is very true. But the trick is just to try and let your intelligence and your imagination have more fun, more often.
Remember to look for opportunities absolutely everywhere, and strive to question the things that nobody else thinks to question. Because when you do, you’ll find that everything is an opportunity to be creative.
Even the opening letters of every paragraph in a Tongal blog post.
