Niko Coutroulis

We know that humor drives strong brand and business metrics. These spots for @floward by IMPACT BBDO are a great example of humorous storytelling in service of the brand. #humor #advertising #creative #creativeadvertising

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Oh, brilliant advertising, how I miss you so. Part MCCLXXXVIII I can't be the only one who would love to see ABSOLUT revisit/revive this world-famous campaign. The inaugural ad, ABSOLUT RETURN. #whenadvertisingtriedharder #creativitymatters #adsworthsharing #ohbrilliantadvertising

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Creative Leadership takes some time to master. But that is time well spent. If the industry has better Creative Directors/Leaders the work will improve, the working environment will improve, and the industry as a whole will improve. And all of that is a win-win for everyone. That's why I coach current & aspiring Creative Directors/Leaders. I guess you could say I'm a Creative Director for Creative Directors. More details in the carousel. 🤘⚡ ---------------------------------------------------------------------- I have limited spots available for Creative Director coaching in Nov and Dec. Get in touch for details. 👇 [email protected] #creativedirector #creativeleadership #advertising #creativecoach #creativity

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“…So, consider this my plea. To agency leaders, creatives and everyone who still believes in the power of a big idea: It’s time to be bold. It’s time to take risks. It’s time to burn the old playbooks and write a new one. Because the creative people that figure this out? The ones that aren’t afraid to put creativity first, be true partners to their clients and adapt to the way brands operate today? Those will be the creatives that don’t just survive this shift, but thrive in it.” STRAIGHT FROM AN EXPERIENCED CLIENT. UNFILTERED. #creativitymatters

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NEW EPISODE!! Ep. 12 // Bop Sh’Bop, Little Shop thebrandmuffin.net It wasn’t so long ago that if you wanted to do the best work, you went with the big shop. Larger agencies always had the upper hand. More budget. More resources. More three-martini lunches. But as tools and technologies are increasingly democratized, smaller teams are leveling the playing field. And brands are shifting dollars to engage more niche agencies who aren’t necessarily full-service, but fully capable of getting the job done. So while we don’t expect big agencies to go anywhere, when it comes to opportunities for the “little shop”, we suddenly see more.

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Sometimes, my job is designing a logo, and sometimes, my job is designing a space. We've created some fun brand experience installations for our partners that I'm really proud of (and have pushed me outside of my comfort zone). Read more about our approach to crafting identity-driven spaces in my latest blog. #BrandScape #DigitalRelativity

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What makes great creative, great creative? We know it when we see it, we feel it when we do it, but could there possibly be...a formula? Our Think Integrated team took the time to consider this question along with analyzing some of the best work we've ever done or seen. While we found no set formula (thank goodness), we did identify these common traits, which we've put on paper and commit to from this point forward: 1. Have purpose, perspective and a point of view.  We’re not just making stuff to make it. All of our work serves a purpose. And we’re not just creators. We are problem solvers and communicators, driving toward something specific and intentional with every move we make.  2. Start with an idea. Always.  Ideas separate compelling, effective creative from collections of letters and pixels. Some people can’t tell the difference. We are not those people. 3. Tell the truth.  Great creative never lies, or needs to. It makes the truth — about a brand, a product, a person, or a situation — shine. 4. Be original.  Whatever you’re trying to say, be it verbally or visually, strive to say it in a way it hasn’t been said a million times before. Originality cuts through the clutter and earns the audience’s attention. 5. Surprise!  Great creative catches you off guard. It can paint the ordinary in an extraordinary new light. It can reveal a truth you never realized. It can make you feel seen and understood in a way you never dreamed possible. 6. Stay on strategy.  Yes, we’re repeating #1. That’s because we have to. Sometimes we get so carried away with being creative that we forget what we came here to do in the first place. Even the most original, surprising and exciting idea will fail if it doesn’t connect to our original purpose. 7. Embrace the edit (even when it hurts).  Great creative takes craftsmanship. No matter how much we fall in love with our work, we have to be willing to change what needs changing, take out what has no reason for staying, to rethink, rework and refine until we get it right.     8. The simpler, the better.  In a complicated and complex world, our job is to create order and understanding.  We make things look and sound beautiful while keeping the meaning crystal clear. 9. Words & visuals work together. Think of them as different tools to build the same story. How can they complement each other without competing? How can they reinforce, without repeating? 10. Speak human. For every client, industry or customer base we work with, we are always humans speaking to other humans (for now). Create accordingly.    11. Check–and double check–your work.   Even the tiniest little error can dim the sparkle of otherwise great creative. Take the time to review your work and ask the team when you need an extra set of eyes. (And you always need an extra set of eyes.) 12. Have fun! This is why we became creatives in the first place, isn’t it?  Anything you would add?

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