The Brief Bros.

Author, creative director and old friend Cameron Day returns to The Brief Bros. as the first guest to join us five times. Today, he talks with me and Henry Gomez about his new book ChAIos and the brawl he regales readers with as he wrestled with OpenAI's ChatGPT, which he dubs Chet G. Petite. If you want a first-hand, blow-by-blow expose on how to not just use AI as an ad creative, but how to tame the beast, this is a must read. And this is a must-watch episode.

In Part 2 of our conversation with Cameron Day, author of Mad Man. The talk turns from advertising’s past to its uncertain future.Cam teases his next book, ChAIos. It's an irreverent and eye-opening guide to understanding and working with AI in the creative world.Join me and Henry Gomez, your hosts on The Brief Bros. We explore what it means to stay human, and creative, when the machines join the brainstorm.

Advertising veteran Cameron Day joins The Brief Bros.—for the fourth time.This visit, Cam talks about his raw, hilarious, and unfiltered new book, Mad Man: F**ed-Up Tales from the Post-Mad Men Ad Trenches. Henry Gomez and I dive into the wild stories, lessons, and scars from Cam’s four decades in the ad world.It’s a brutally honest look at the business we love—and love to hate. Join us.

We introduced you to Mark Pollard last week. He may be the most traveled teaching strategist on the planet.Mark is known as your "strategy friend." And he's the founder and principal of Sweathead.It's his globe-hopping workshops on advertising strategy.He's back for Part 2  of his conversation with me and Henry Gomez on The Brief Bros.

Mark Pollard may be the most traveled teaching strategist on the planet.He's known as "your strategy friend" and is the founder and principal of Sweathead.It's his globe-hopping workshops on advertising strategy.Mark joined Henry Gomez and me on The Brief Bros. For not one but two chats. All the way from Colombia, South America, between teaching sessions.Mark shares his insights on strategy as well as the challenges of being on the road.And what he's learned about our industry from young strategists around the world.It's a fascinating and educational chat.Join us today for Part 1.

My friend Noel Zamot is our guest this week on The Brief Bros.Noel has never worked in marketing or advertising.What he knows about creative briefs he's learned from talking to me.So why is he a guest this week?Because of Noel's deep training and expertise in a technology that scares a lot of people in our industry: AI.A little background:Noel served as an Air Force Colonel (ret), saw combat in the first Gulf War and in his final tour of duty was the Commandant of the elite Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards AFB in California.That's the school once led by the late General Chuck Yeager.He's also an award-winning novelist and an in-demand speaker on AI in aviation. And now AI as a partner to writers.As an active member of the Florida Writers Association, he will be leading a hands-on AI workshop for writers next month at its annual convention.In our in-depth conversation (Henry Gomez had a prior commitment this week), Noel and I talk about our mutual interests and immersion in what we both believe is a dynamic, inevitable and collaborative technology.He and I both use ChatGPT to assist us in our writing and we talk about this at length.This week's episode is unique in our catalog. You won't want to miss it. 

This week on The Brief Bros., Henry Gomez and I share with you five websites rich in data, robust in insight, and reliably credible.Intrepid brief writers, these are your rabit holes. Maybe new ones, maybe old ones you forgot about.And, I throw in a sixth website that I find juicy. You might too.So six great research venues, waiting for diggers to unearth something unexpected.Don't miss this episode! 

Craig Crawford is our guest today on The Brief Bros. He did what many creatives dream about, but few act on.He launched Black Noise, a new creative agency in December 2024.Craig joined Henry Gomez and me to talk about his top-shelf resume. And the fascinating path that took him from native South Africa to LA.Plus Craig and I share a common thread: we both worked at Team One Advertising.We're pretty sure we missed working there together by a matter of weeks.So pull up a chair and meet a stellar creative leader. See first-hand what the future holds for our industry.NOTE TO VIEWERS: Henry and I will be taking a late summer break and will return in mid-September.

You are an advertising agency. You are aware of the existential threat posed by AI. Not only to you, as a creative agency, but also to your industry.Why would you then use this technology, AI, to cheat? In order to win an award? An award some fear—yourself included—might render your agency, your industry, obsolete by the technology you used to cheat?This is the conundrum Henry Gomez and I dissect today on The Brief Bros.

Henry Gomez and I would not be the Brief Bros. if we didn't bring you compelling insights and informed guests.So we apologize for failing to measure up this week. Instead we underwhelm you with a little puffery.No slight to Henry, who zings with his patented clarity and probity.Me? Well, watch and decide for yourself.And after all, every podcast has the right to throw an intellectual softball...occasionally. Right?The American Eagle–Sydney Sweeney kerfuffle. The good news? The episode is less than 15 minutes.

The author of Truth, Lies and Advertising, Jon Steel, returns to The Brief Bros.And Henry Gomez and I delight in nerding out with Jon, talking strategy, briefs, briefing and AI.Not to mention one of his most celebrated accounts, the got milk? campaign.Plus he talks a bit about cricket. But not too much.We are honored that Jon could return to our show, all the way from Perth, Australia.

Maybe this episode will compel Mark Pollard to find room in his crazy travel schedule and join us on The Brief Bros. Henry Gomez and I can only hope.But first, kudos to Mark for this fun, inspiring and must-have PDF called Creative Briefs 101. Available here from Mark's Instagram page.Today, Henry and I share our thoughts on only three of Mark's unique observations to help brief writers become better.Yeah, it's a tease. But it's a worthy tease, incentive to get you off your butts to get your own copy.And maybe we can flatter Mark with this shameless plug that he'll come on the show.

Eight years after the publication of its white paper, Better Creative Briefs, the Association of National Advertisersreleased new research in June 2025.And that's our topic today on The Brief Bros. Henry Gomez and I do an overview of their findings. And let me be upfront: I was interviewed and credited in the 51-page PDF.A handful of sampe briefs populate the research, including an example of how to fix a weak brief. Plus survey results and essays by industry leaders on the importance of clear, "brief" briefs.Henry and I agree, except when we disagree. And that means there's lots to unpack here so join us.Bottom line: A big kudos to ANA for updating its conversation about briefs.

Originally aired September 21, 2022This week, Henry Gomez and I are joined on The Brief Bros. by a luminary in the field of marketing: Professor Mark Ritson.Our guest has earned a well-deserved reputation for pulling no punches in his commentary on and assessment of marketers and their brand management.Plus Henry is an alum of the two wildly popular and well-attended mini-MBA programs Ritson teaches online.And Ritson has the distinction of being both an insightful academic (or ex-academic as he prefers it) who has real-world experience as a marketing consultant for global brands.In this episode, Ritson's keen eye and acerbic wit energize our discussion.He tackles the state of marketing training in the US, when brand purpose makes sense and when it doesn’t and the status of brands in general.

True or false: when you write a brief for a B2B client, you can't use a B2C brief template.It's an oldie but goodie, one I've heard for years. Henry Gomez, too. And perfectly timed after our episode last week about Go Daddy at Cannes.Today on The Brief Bros. we dispel the myths around B2B creative briefs. And we do it in ten minutes.Are they alike? Or are they different? Show us the money and explain!Don't miss this one! There's no Grassy Knoll here, folks.

Special thanks to our friend and loyal viewer Brian Sherwin at Della Famina in New York. Because of Brian, The Brief Bros. discusses a popular win at Cannes.Brian shared a break-down of a Cannes Grand Prix winner in B2B for Go Daddy.The information he shared with me comes from Joe Burns, a noted strategist with an impressive resume.And Henry Gomez and I have a fun conversation. We talk about Joe's analysis of the spot and, oddly enough, how the client originally claimed it didn't need strategy.

A shout-out to our friend and past guest on The Brief Bros., Lance Saunders. He shared with us a fascinating article about The Open Brief.It gave Henry Gomez and me a brilliant topic for today's discussion. And it triggered memories of past lives where we both had experience with a version.Is the open brief a valuable concept, a path to creative innovation? Or an invitation to disaster?Henry and I have fun in our exploration. Where do you stand? Open Brief or Closed Brief?

Our old friend, Chaz Wigley, returns to The Brief Bros. He reminds us why his 100 Things Planners Should Know is a font of wisdom. His insights, collected after decades as a strategist, are the building blocks for a stellar career.Chaz shares his favorites among the 100 Things.But this conversation is mostly about the bigger picture. About where strategy is today, the role of brands, the influence of AI and more.And all from the perspective of an industry insider who is former chairman at BBH Asia.

Returning to our Lightning Round debates, The Brief Bros. today ask:Which is more important on the creative brief—brand truth or human truth?Howard sides with Brand Truth. Henry lines up with Human Truth.In this short episode, we offer insights to help brief writers tackle their next brief.What's in your brief?

Four-plus years in, The Brief Bros. finally get around to asking an important question:When did the creative brief make its first appearance?Henry Gomez did quite a bit of research on this. Because it's what good strategists do. So we decided to do a brief history of the document.Who was the first to use the term, creative brief? Stephen King? Stanley Pollitt?Tune in and find out what we found out. History buffs, this one's for you!

Part Two of The Brief Bros.'s Lightning Round, inspired by my buddy Giles Edwards, who puts his podcast guests through a series of five or six quick-answer questions.So we ask, Which is more important on a brief, the insight or the SMP?Henry Gomez tackles Insight, and I give you my best thinking on the Single-Minded Proposition.Now don't be fooled into thinking one part of the brief is actually more important than the other. Both play their roles.Thanks to Giles's inspiration, Henry and I use the Lightning Round scenario to make our case for each question.Why? To help brief writers think clearer and clearly when they write their next brief.It's a fun concept and we'll be back with more Lightning Rounds. So enjoy this one.

Today on The Brief Bros., we borrow from our buddy Giles Edwards who puts his podcast guests through what he calls a Lightning Round.Each guest is hit with a series of fast-delivered questions and expected to deliver fast answers.So Henry Gomez and I took this concept and adapted it to our show.This is the first in an on-going series. Each of us takes one question on a brief and makes the case that it's the most important.We're not truly arguing against the other question, but instead helping brief writers bring clear thinking to their task.Stay tuned for more Lightning Rounds!

Our friend Marc Lewis joins Henry Gomez and me today for a major announcement:The School of Communication Arts in London now offers a six-month fully online course for portfolio development.And he's got a special offer for viewers of The Brief Bros.: a coupon code worth $500 off tuition—BROS500.The April cohort is underway, and the US is well represented, with almost half the attendees.Plus, SCA online is supported by instructors from some of London's finest creative shops.Watch as Marc lays out the courework and his vision. Are you ready to sign up?

Creative work presented to the client gets killed with alarming frequency.The average number of rounds today is...five...before the client signs off.Scary, yes. But today Henry Gomez and I talk about the immediate problem: how to recover, regroup and come back with your best thinking.The task requires leadership from both the brief writer/stragetist and the creative director.Howard and Henry break down the challenge from both perspectives.

In another "Nuts 'n bolts" discussion, Henry Gomez and I talk about the rare but not unusual occasion when your client says, "Start over."This is different from those presentations when the client rejects the work, but not the brief. Something more serious happens and you're instructed to begin again.Henry and I will tackle the former challenge in an upcoming episode. Today we dissect the process brief writers sometimes face when the brief may need adjusting.  And then the creative team needs to be read in a second time.How should strategists handle this scenario? Henry offers a few valuable guideposts.

Our friends at BetterBriefs, Pieter-Paul von Weiler and Matt Davies have delivered more scathing survey results. This time on the subject of evaluating creative ideas presented by agencies to clients.Why are ideas so difficult to judge? Why have rounds of creative presentation grown from an average of three to five before clients sign off?Henry Gomez and I share one juicy survey result from the lot and break it down for you. it's a sad situation, and it's both not surprising and shocking. We discuss.

Kit Altin is chief strategy officer at The Gate London. And she made a splash last year at Austin's SXSW with queues round the block waiting for her workshop.She was so popular, she was invited back last month. And she's now a fixture at the annual festival that celebrates tech, film and music.Kit joins Henry Gomez and me to talk about her journey from journalist to copywriter to strategist and renowned creative educator.

You're given only eight hours to write a creative brief. What now? According to our guest, Dan Carlton, it's not a common event, but it's not rare either.Dan is the CEO and founding partner of The Paragraph Project, a company that develops "human-centered strategies" for marketers and agencies alike. And he's created an online training for strategists in a pinch for a quick-turn brief. It's an hour-by-hour structured training to move from blank page to a finished brief.He's even offering Brief Bros. viewers a 50% coupon to try his "8 Hour Creative Brief."Use this link and the code BRIEFBROS: planneru.gumroad.com/l/eighthourcreativebrief

Meet Kevin Le, content creator and podcast producer. A chance encounter on a business flight led to a three-hour non-stop conversation. And in invitation to join me on The Brief Bros.Kevin's enthusiasm for podcasting is infectious. And his deep experience opened my eyes. And since so many of Henry Gomez's and my colleagues are dabbling in podcasting, this was an ideal time to delve into the topic. As you'll discover, Kevin will open your eyes too.Which online tools work best for podcasters? How do you record, edit, and reformat your podcasts? Kevin answers these questions and offers so much more. 

Henry Gomez and I return to discuss an important "nuts 'n bolts" topic: why is there tension between strategtists and creatives?Alex Morris joined us a few months ago to share results from his own informal survey on this topic. But Henry and I decided it merited further exploration.When the relationship works, the results are magic. When it doesn't, the work suffers.Henry and I share our thoughts on how to foster this important partnership. Creatives and strategists, pull up a chair.

Henry Gomez and I welcome Fab Nolan and Adam Green from 99Ravens.ai this week.99Ravens is a new company in Toronto. And it makes a big promise: to improve the quality of client briefs to their ad agency clients.How? By using its AI-trained tool.Fab and Adam explain how it works and why they deliver on their promise. And they provided us with a demonstration video.It's a fascinating and provocative topic certain to generate discussion. And today, we get it started. 

Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communications student Alex Chrislu joins us today. She graduates in May and as you'll soon discover, she explodes with enthusiasm and confidence. And it's not hard to picture her in a senior leadership role in a short time.Henry Gomez and I revel in meeting young talent like Alex. For all the oldsters we talk to who lament our industry's future, the Alex Chrislus of the world inspire us and give us hope. So sit back and watch as this young woman draws a clear picture of her own future. And, we hope, for the ad business as well.

Henry Gomez and I return with a Nuts 'n Bolts episode.Today we share with you a paper written in 2010. It's authored by Merry Baskin, a member of the World Advertising Research Center (WARC). And she writes on writing the agency brief.As Henry points out, this is the topic that triggered a debate between the two of us. The debate that motivated us to launch The Brief Bros.Baskin's paper may be 15 years old, but the topic is as relevant today as ever.

Uri Baruchin joins Henry Gomez and me for the final segment of our conversation about frameworks.And today we tackle a brief construct designed to simplify and clarify. Yet too often practitioners flub it.Why? Uri tells us.But he's just getting warmed up.What is the biggest cost of AI? You've heard many pundits pontificate. But Uri's answer may surprise you.All this and more.

Our friend Uri Baruchin returns for a two-part conversation. When he joined Henry Gomez and me three weeks ago, we simply ran out of time. It happens.Today, we asked him to expand on a thought: why have brand platforms failed us? It's a master class in strategy.Part 2 is next week.

Henry Gomez and I welcome back our friend Reid Holmes. And together, we celebrate the publication of his book Appreciated Branding.It's an enlightening and provocative examination of how to make mature brands, in Reid's words, "irreplaceable." His prescriptions for brands, according to reviewers, are timely and humane.We begin our chat with a little time travel. We revisit Reid's days leading the creative department at the now-defunct Campbell Mithun in Minneapolis.That's where I met and went to work for Reid. And he shares with us the thinking behind the award-winning campaign for H&R Block, "I got people."Join us as we explore Reid's invaluable lessons for brands.

We work hard as creatives, strategists and brand advocates. So when it comes to organizing our finances and paying taxes, how many of us are as buttoned-up with the numbers as we are with ideas? This week, we thought we'd pause for a moment and talk dollars and sense. And introduce you to a numbers person who knows creatives, Adeola Mosanya, Founder and CEO of Creatives Account. She is a creative herself, but also dedicates her professional life to helping other creatives with tax prep. And since tax time is closer than you think, The Brief Bros. is happy to welcome Adeola, who is also my accountant. I chose her precisely because she knows and works with other creatives like me. In advertising as well as other creative professions. She's located in Houston, but works with clients all across the US. Pay attention. You might learn something. And a special offer: a free online class for anyone thinking about starting their own business.

Thanks to our friend and a former guest, Baiba Matisone, Henry Gomez and I introduce you to Uri Baruchin. Uri is a consulting strategist in London with more than 20 years of agency and brand experience under his belt. And he has more than a few things to say about our industry as he looks back on his career. He is unflinching in his critiques. And grounded in an eruidition most of us should envy. So sit back and listen to a philosopher strategist share his thoughts basic strateg frameworks that have failed us. Fortunately, this is only Part 1. We have invited Uri back to dive even deeper into his prognoses and predictions.

With special thanks to our friend Marc Lewis, dean of the venerable SCA in London, we present Louie Scott (AD) and Giorgia La Vecchia (CW). Marc recommended both these young people who are deep into SCA's portfolio development classes. Louie's path appears like a long and winding road. Giorgia thought she found a creative outlet in the art world. Find out how they arrived, instead, in Ad Land. They joined Henry Gomez and me this week to share their experiences. And talk about their career aspirations. Young and ambitious creatives, pay attention. Like other UK and US-based students who've joined us, these young talents can enlighten you on how to find a dynamic career in advertising.

Our friend Vivek Kuchibhotla returns to talk about the challenges brands face when they search for a new ad agency. He's a veteran of Leo Burnett, where he worked on Proctor & Gamble, first in Venezuela, then Hong Kong, finally in Chicago. He was then put to work on the global MacDonald's business. Vivek is also on the faculty of the Association of National Advertisers. He teaches a variety of workshops on agency search and managing agency/client relationships. Henry Gomez and I are thrilled to bring back an experienced advertising professional to talk about the intricacies of the agency world too many of us know little about.

Henry Gomez chats me up today about my latest training, a 90-minute webinar on writing the Single-Minded Proposition. It's one week from today, Wednesay, January 15. Today, I give you highlights of the webinar's take-aways. The training consists of 60 minutes of insights into real SMPs on real briefs, plus 30 minutes of discussion and Q&A with me. Writing the SMP is a challenge no matter how long you've been writing briefs. It tends to cause paralysis by analysis. So in this 10-minute episode, I'll give you a quick tour of what we'll do. Sign up today. Only 25 seats available. Fee is only $89.

Henry Gomez and I welcome back an old friend, Bob Hoffman. He's here to talk about his new book, The Three Word Brief. It's an incisive and n0-holds-barred examination of the ad business and marketing. When Bob speaks, people listen. And on his third visit with us, he has much to say. From the flaws in the agency world to fraud in digital adveriting to frustations with marketing and marketers, Bob's new book and today's discussion will get your 2025 off to a rousing start. Reminder: For a 90-minute live webinar on writing the single-minded proposition contact Howard Ibach at creativebriefworkshops.com.

Finally, and at long last, George Tannenbaum answers the question on everyone's mind: Is GeorgeCo LLC really a Delaware company? He talks about much more than that, of course. Henry Gomez and I delight in the return of our friend. He's our holiday present to all of you. Consider this our joint thank you for your support over the last year. And the previous three years as well. George joins us on Episode #199. Reminder: For a 90-minute live webinar on writing the single-minded proposition contact Howard Ibach at creativebriefworkshops.com.  

Our guest, Alex Morris, is a freelance strategy consultant who authored a study Creatives on Strategy: Looking Outside Ourselves to Define What Strategy Offers. It is a survey of creatives' thoughts about strategy. And it's the topic of our discussion today. Alex is a strategist of high regard, as evidenced by the comments from his colleagues. “Alex Morris is every creative’s dream strategist," noted Heather McTavish, ECD of Virtue. "All in. No bullshit. Smart as all get out. Kinder than anyone you know. Extremely collaborative and on the money.” So it is refreshing that what he uncovered in this survey pulls no punches. And offers all of us, creatives and strategists a like, a keen window into our working relationship. And makes for excellent conversation. Henry Gomez and I share with you excerpts from the survey. And we talk at length about the natural tension between the two camps who are, after all, on the same side. Reminder: For a 90-minute live webinar on writing the single-minded proposition contact Howard Ibach at creativebriefworkshops.com.

Ed Tsue, Global CSO at Media Futures Group, a respected and admired strategist in our industry, tells us that the Creative Brief is Dead. Today on The Brief Bros., he defends and expands on his position, first posited in his Medium newsletter a year ago. And thanks to last week's guest Ed Cotton, who reposted Ed Tsue's musings on his blog, Provoke, we found it. And then decided to bring Ed Tsue on to talk about it. It's a lively but never heated discussion, with more than a little push-back from both sides. And I think it's safe to say, both Ed and I learned a few things from each other. Sadly, my buddy Henry Gomez was traveling for work and couldn't join us. Reminder: For a 90-minute live webinar on writing the single-minded proposition contact Howard Ibach at creativebriefworkshops.com.

When he launched his Substack blog Provoke six months ago, strategist Ed Cotton had a clear goal. He decided to post excerpts from and links to his favorite LinkedIn articles. But he didn't stop there. When a topic struck his fancy, he looked beyond LinkedIn and created a curio box of goodies. Most are strategy related. But his interests reflect the curiosity of a good strategist. Attention, demographics, insights, AI, writing. And then there's the Arctic and food. He even posted on spies and spying. And of course the creative brief. For brief nerds like Henry Gomez and me, this particular post was catnip. And its links to the writing of others with similar interests piqued our interest. We've reached out to some of them. A few will be guests in the coming weeks and months. Today, we probe the curious mind of Ed Cotton, a British transplant with tenure at McCann-Erickson and Lowe. And on major brands like Converse, MINI and Priceline. Reminder: For a 90-minute live webinar on writing the single-minded proposition contact Howard Ibach at creativebriefworkshops.com.

It's a too-familiar story. Derek Walker, copywriter and agency founder, came to advertising via journalism. When he graduated, he couldn't find work in ad agencies. Instead, he cut his teeth in corporate America. Radio Shack, for one, where as in-house ACD, he worked on the Howie & Teri television spots. As he tells it, his grounding on the client side helped him immeasurably. And gave him a career boost when he eventually got hired by agencies. Including stints at Cramer-Krasselt in Milwaukee and Chiat\Day. Derek's story is inspiration for aspiring copywriters and art directors. If you want a deep knowledge of brands, he tells us, you could hardly do better than to start your career working for a brand. Reminder: For a 90-minute live webinar on writing the single-minded proposition contact Howard Ibach at creativebriefworkshops.com.

Part 2 with Christopher Owens, head of brand strategy at TRG, formerly The Richards Group. Today, Christopher continues to share his passion for strategy. He talks at length about the dangers of short-term thinking on building brands. Then he addresses the turn away information-driven creative back to creativity and story-telling to make emotional connections. He also tells us about his leadership style, and much more. Christopher's impact on our industry is broad and deep. He has been the Miami Ad School's Program Lead of Strategy Bootcamp for many years. Reminder: For a 90-minute live webinar and customized corporate training in writing inspiring creative briefs, contact Howard Ibach at creativebriefworkshops.com.

Our guest this week is the man who put us in touch with the author of the famous Kiwi shoe polish creative brief. Christopher Owens, head of brand strategy at TRG, formerly The Richards Group, hired Sarah Walker-Hall. He reached out to us years ago and asked if we wanted to meet this strategist. And that led to a two-part interview on The Brief Bros. Today, Christopher joins us for a two-part interview of his own. He talks about his origins, from his early interests in jazz and architecture to his fledgling beginnings in a small Dallas agency, Gleason/Calise. His leadership at TRG spans two decades, and include Effie-awarding-winning work on GameStop, Patron and Sub-Zero. (He generously donated three creative briefs for these brands to the Creative Brief Archive.) This is a deep dive conversation about strategy and his commitment to training new generations of strategists. For many years, Christopher has been the Miami Ad School's Program Lead of Strategy Bootcamp. Part 2 airs next week. Reminder: For a 90-minute live webinar and customized corporate training in writing inspiring creative briefs, contact Howard Ibach at creativebriefworkshops.com for availability.

The second part of our conversation with TBWA Worldwide's Rob Schwartz. Today, guest-host David Moore and I talk with Rob about the heroes among strategists. The story behind the full-page ad for TBWA\Chiat\Day NY's move. What's the way forward for our industry? Is advertising creatively rewarding? And more. Reminder: For a 90-minute live webinar and customized corporate training in writing inspiring creative briefs, contact Howard Ibach at creativebriefworkshops.com for availability.