AWARD

Tip #1: Dissect the prop!

'What's a prop' you ask?

A prop or proposition can and should be your jumping off point AND your guiding light. You can use it to have hundreds of ideas. Then later use it to sense check whether or not each idea is 'right' (not good or bad, just on-brief or off-brief). Look at your print ad. If it isn't answering the proposition, you can assess if it's changeable or bin-able. This is how you cull.

 

 

Proposition for AWARD School practice brief #1: 

You never forget to do it when it's on a Post-it!

In dissecting the prop, consider the following to get your creative juices flowing:

 

• What's important for you to do? What do you need to remember/don't want to forget to do? What's something you'd be in big sh** for forgetting? Consider family, friends, relationships, events, appointments, obligations, life admin, rubbish bin day etc.

• OR, try another perspective: Who are you? Who could you be? Who would or would've found this useful? Someone from the past/present/ future? Historic? Iconic? Real? Fiction? Hero? Villain? Sidekick?

• Who needs to remember things? An obstetrician? Heart surgeon? Who forgets things? Who forgot to do a thing? A very important thing. Seemingly unimportant thing? A thing that triggers a butterfly effect of cataclysmic proportions? Who could have forgotten to do a thing that would've changed the outcome of an event/story? Like remembering to put the flag on the moon? OR you could consider who you could be within the context of a relationship dynamic.

• Who might wish/want someone else to remember something? e.g. a frustrated parent & forgetful kid, teacher & student, doctor & patient, teammates, partners etc.

• Or you could try taking a different perspective again e.g. an empty dishwasher, an uneaten banana at the bottom of a school bag. Think weird. Go wild. Don't censor yourself. Let yourself have shit ideas. Don't aim for quality. Just be prolific and quality will come. Once you've picked who you are, you might want to try thinking about how you are (for thought starters on how to visually execute your print ad) e.g.

• What's your tone, style, personality? How do you talk, not talk, express yourself? How would you use a Post-it? Would you write on it or draw? And what would you draw? Pictures? Symbols? Brail? Origami? A flipbook? Do you use black ink? Glitter pens? Blood? Are you messy? Neat? Clean? Dirty? Sandy? Wet? Dry? Do you use one Post-it or stick hundreds on a wall. But forget walls - what else would/could/do you stick a Post-it note on?

The possibilities are endless. And that's just using 'you' as a jumping off point.

 

Good luck completing the brief!