Tag: creative agency

creative process

The Creative Process: From Brainstorm to Execution

The creative process is a mysterious journey. For many, it’s a delicate dance between inspiration and frustration, a constant ebb and flow that can lead to brilliance—or a horrified blank stare at your screen. What works for you may be something as simple as taking a long walk while listening to Steely Dan or even watching old ’90s toy commercials to spark a burst of inspiration. The truth is that the creative process is deeply personal.

What works for one person might not work for another, and what works for a graphic designer may differ wildly from what works for a copywriter or a videographer. Despite these differences, there are some common stages that many creatives go through to bring their ideas to life. Let’s dive into the creative process of three types of creatives: graphic designers, copywriters, and videographers.

Exploring the Creative Process:

Graphic Designers

For a graphic designer, the creative process often begins with a spark of inspiration and evolves into something visual. Here’s an example of how they might approach it:

  • The Spark: Inspiration hits—whether from a photo, color palette, or client brief. Something clicks, and the design journey begins.
  • Research & Moodboarding: The designer gathers ideas, trends, and images to shape the visual direction through moodboards.
  • Sketching & Drafting: Initial sketches and rough drafts lay the groundwork for the concept, moving closer to reality.
  • Refining the Design: Colors, shapes, and typography are fine-tuned, bringing the idea to life and adding cohesion.
  • Final Execution: The design is polished and aligned, with final tweaks and feedback before completion.

Copywriters

Copywriting might seem as simple as putting words on paper, but it’s more like folding 100 fitted sheets blindfolded while someone tases you. Okay, maybe not that extreme, but it’s definitely not easy. The writing process is a wild safari through the jungle of language and clarity. Here’s how a copywriter typically tackles a project:

  • Understanding the Brief: The copywriter sets the foundation of the piece by clarifying the message, target audience, and the proper tone.
  • Brainstorming & Outlining: The copywriter attempts to capture as many free-flowing, relevant ideas living in their brain as possible before organizing them into a structured outline that makes sense to others.
  • Drafting the Copy: The first draft is written imperfectly, aiming to clearly and effectively convey ideas and messages.
  • Editing & Refining: Unnecessary words (and sometimes jokes) are cut, and sentences are tightened for clarity and impact.
  • Final Review: The copy is tested for tone and readability. After final adjustments, it’s ready to be released into the wild—or perhaps just sent to the client.

Videographers

Videography combines creativity with technical skill. For videographers, the creative process often involves a lot of collaboration and technical problem-solving. Here’s their typical approach:

  • Concept Development: The videographer envisions the final product, playing it out in their head. Whether it’s a commercial or social media video, they can envision almost every detail.
  • Storyboarding & Planning: A storyboard or shot list is created, detailing sequences, angles, and timing to tell a compelling story. Generally, this is done on a tight deadline and can be extremely time- and energy-consuming.
  • Filming & Capturing Content: All the pieces come together for filming. Sometimes, this involves actors, and other times, just objects. The videographer captures footage over an extended period, often from multiple angles, waiting anywhere from minutes to hours between shot setups.
  • Editing & Post-Production: The footage is edited, unnecessary shots and superfluous material are removed, and sound effects, visual effects, music, and sometimes voiceovers are added to maximize impact.
  • Final Cut & Feedback: The final version is reviewed, adjusted based on feedback, and prepared for distribution.

Overall, the creative process is never a one-size-fits-all journey. Whether you’re a graphic designer, copywriter, or videographer, your approach will differ based on medium and your unique way of thinking. Yet, the beauty of creativity lies in its diversity—every individual’s process is a personal reflection of their artistry. Embrace the quirks, the chaos, and the inspiration because, in the end, it’s all part of bringing your ideas to life.

ON Advertising is the Largest Minority-Owned, Full-Service Advertising Agency in the Southwest

We are the largest minority-owned full-service agency in the Southwest and we did not get there by accident. Contact us today to learn more about our services and how we can help your business grow to the next level.

Our brand strategists work synergistically to develop and support successful market influence. Our full-scale consideration of each facet of marketing and advertising operates with clear goals and objectives laid out for each client and their unique needs. 

Our team of thinkers, creatives, and researchers blend their talents to develop a brand that works for you. Whether you are seeking additional advertising advice for your Gen Z audience or any other marketing project, we can make it happen!

A piece of billboard marketing over a busy highway in a city

3 Ways Billboard Marketing is an Effective Method of Promotion

If you’ve ever taken a lengthy road trip or commute to work, you’ve likely noticed some form of billboard marketing. According to Scenic, there are over 425,000 billboards across U.S. highways that promote businesses and organizations. This does not account for the amount located in populated urban areas. While some commuters may not notice this form of promotion, it remains an effective method of bringing awareness to your business. 

As one of the best advertising agencies in Phoenix, we’ve seen firsthand how out-of-home advertising can enhance business awareness and revenue. Read below and see what we have learned about out-of-home advertising.

Billboard Marketing Can Reach Target Markets

Because billboards are everywhere, you can choose where you want to promote your business and products. Selecting the right location gives your company a better shot at attracting its target customers.  For example, a restaurant could attract hungry drivers and other passersby on highways and highly populated areas.

Measuring billboard marketing effectiveness always begins with evaluating the potential location of the ad’s placement. This is achieved by considering several factors about the location, including:

  • The number of people or vehicles that pass the billboard per day
  • The number of people or vehicles that could see the billboard per day
  • The people who noticed/interacted with the billboard

Build Awareness with Billboard Marketing

While billboards aren’t as effective at getting a response as digital strategies, they’re excellent at building brand awareness. Because many commuters see the same billboard multiple times, they retain the message and associate it with the brand/company. By creating memorable billboard designs, potential customers will remember the business when they need their services or products. A billboard for a restaurant, for example, helps build awareness of the brand by providing information to passersby on its location and food. When people have a craving for the food they serve, they will recall the brand and where to find them.

Billboard marketing must be creative to stand out among people’s commute or on long road trips. It should tell a story or create a call to action in as few words as possible to make it memorable. By working with a creative advertising agency, you will benefit from our agency’s knowledge and expertise in designing noteworthy billboards.

Billboard Marketing is Always On

While you might invest in broadcasting your ads at certain times of the day, billboard advertising is visible all day and night, in some cases. Out-of-home advertising leads to repeated exposure as people continually pass by the advertisement. While the message tends to be shorter than other forms of advertising, a potential customer has a high possibility of retaining this information.  Additionally, when paired with an effective digital strategy, billboard marketing can boost the strategy’s effectiveness by 40%.

According to Mixed Media Outdoor, the average person drives between 26.2 and 31.5 miles a day. Additionally, Americans spend an average of 293 hours in their cars a year. What does this data mean? The more time people spend in the car, the more time they will look at their surroundings. As a result, Hubspot notes that 71% of people consciously look at billboards while driving. This is partially because ads cannot be blocked out like online and other traditional ads can. 

Invest in Creative Out-Of-Home Marketing with ON Advertising

Since 1993, ON Advertising has been the source of full-service marketing solutions. Whether you’re looking for creative billboard marketing or an upgrade to your digital strategy, we’re here to help. Our expert team works closely with every client to ensure their brand and messaging are front and center. Contact us today and see why ON Advertising is one of the leading ad agencies in Arizona. 

Search
RECENT POSTS
ARCHIVES
Archives