Will Burns: This Fractional Brand Consultant Comes With A Fractional Creative Department

When Ideas Become Therapy For An Executive Team

Everyone knows how therapeutic having a idea can be. The thrill, the chills, and just the feeling of accomplishment giving birth to a new (good) idea. What’s not talked about as much is the therapeutic value of ideas to the well-being of a company, particularly a complex organization with different, competing perspectives with the executive level as to what the brand should be about. I’ve found that multiple ideas for the team to bat around, reject, and embrace, can be a form of useful, healthy therapy for the execrative team. Let me explain.

BrandingWill BurnsMarch 18, 2022branding, ideas, therapyComment

Chevy's Glorious Holiday Spot Shows, And Doesn't Tell, A Beautiful Story

I don’t often cry during a TV spot. But I did during Chevy’s new “Holiday Ride” TV spot and longer-form short film. The story is wonderful and timely for the holidays, but the spot “does holiday” exceptionally well by showing and not telling, and by making the Chevy product the hero. First, check out the short film, it’s only 4:00 long.

Advertising ReviewsWill BurnsDecember 15, 2021chevy, holiday ride, advertising Comments

Progressive's "Dr. Rick" Writes A Book

“To become yourself, you must first un-become your parents.” So says the inside flap of Dr. Rick’s book, “Dr. Rick Will See You Now. A guide to un-becoming your parents.” And so begins a branded experience unlike any other. I immediately ordered the book as soon as my friend and ECD at Arnold Worldwide (Progressive’s AOR), Sean McBride, posted something about it on the socials. Here’s my review.

Will BurnsNovember 29, 2021Dr. Rick, Progressive, Arnold Worldwide, Book Comment

Icelandverse, The Gauntlet Is Thrown In The Battle Between Real And Fake

Have you seen the new video from Inspired by Iceland, the official marketing arm of Iceland? It’s one of those creative ideas that is made instantly relevant by poking at an easily pokable, well-known celebrity businessman (in this case, Mark Zuckerberg), but not just random poking, strategic poking that will make even people allergic to ice want to go to Iceland. Let me explain.

Advertising ReviewsWill BurnsNovember 19, 2021Advertising, IcelandverseComment

A Blog On Ideas, How Ideas Matter, and Ideas That Matter

I wrote a column for Forbes.com from 2011 until 2020 where my beat was “Creativity in modern branding.” The gazillions of articles are still there, actually. Five posts a month, usually critiquing and/or unpacking the strategies behind great advertising ideas, but sometimes reporting on new scientific studies on creativity. I’m going to start that back up, only do it on this blog and at my own pace.

Will BurnsNovember 18, 2021ideas, forbesComment

Agencies Need To Find Their Obsession

The most interesting people in life are the ones who know exactly who they are. Agencies are no different. Problem is, agencies are all the same. With some minor fluctuations here and there, they all have the same general structure, the same kinds of people, the same deliverables, the same ways of presenting, the same everything.

Advertising AgenciesWill BurnsNovember 10, 2021agencies, obsession, differentiateComment

ON BRAND