Ten creative briefs for made-up companies, one for each common kind of project. Every one is complete, with all eleven sections, and short enough to read in a couple of minutes.
Each links to a longer version with notes on what that kind of brief needs, and you can start your own brief from any of them. It's free and there's no sign-up.
What this kind of brief needsWhere and when people see the work. A feed gives you about a second, so the one thing has to work as the first line of a caption.
Quill is a budgeting app with about 200,000 people using it on their own. Shared budgets, the most requested feature for two years, ships on 2 November.
The problem
Couples who argue about money have no neutral place to look at it together.
If we do nothing
Couples stay on a shared spreadsheet, and a competitor ships the same feature and gets the credit.
Who it's for
Couples who moved in together in the last few years and still split things with transfers and IOUs. One of them is tired of always being the money person.
What they think now
“Budgeting apps are for one person. Talking about money with my partner turns into a fight.”
What we want them to think
“We can both just look at it, and it isn't a big conversation every time.”
The one thing to say
One budget you can both see, so money isn't one person's job.
Reasons to believe
Each person keeps their own accounts private and picks what to share. Both see the same numbers update at once. No extra cost on the current plan.
Mandatories
The launch date can't appear before 26 October. No bank partner names.
Deliverables
A 30 second film with 15 and 6 second cuts, app store screenshots, a launch day email, a launch page and paid social.
What this kind of brief needsA clear line between what's fixed and what's still changing. Embargo dates and things that can't be shown yet go in the mandatories, because they're what cause reshoots.
Three family-owned trade companies merged last year but still run three names, three logos and three sets of vans. The new name, Allgood, is final.
The problem
Customers think they're three small companies, so they only call for the one trade they already know.
If we do nothing
Each company keeps its own loyal customers, and the merger never brings in the second and third job from the same house.
Who it's for
Homeowners who have called one of the three companies before and liked them. They keep a number on the fridge and want someone they trust, fast.
What they think now
“Brooks does our furnace. I have no idea who to call for the wiring.”
What we want them to think
“The furnace people do wiring too. Same crew I already trust.”
The one thing to say
The same people you already call, now for everything in the house.
Reasons to believe
The same technicians and owners as before. Maintenance plan prices don't change. One number now books all three trades.
Mandatories
The name is final. Old names appear as “formerly” for 12 months. The new look has to work parked next to old vans for six months.
Deliverables
Identity system, van wraps, uniforms and yard signs. A letter and fridge magnet for current customers. A new homepage, a radio spot and pre-roll.
Timing
Kickoff 28 September, identity routes 19 October, customer letter 1 December, first vans 5 January.
What this kind of brief needsHonesty about what people already like, since that's what a rebrand is most likely to lose. And a list of what's already decided, so nobody reopens it.
A children's museum with about 300,000 visits a year. A family membership costs about the same as three visits, but fewer than 1 in 20 families have one.
The problem
Families don't do the math at the ticket desk, so they buy a day pass every time.
If we do nothing
Families keep paying for day passes and come less often than they could.
Who it's for
Parents of kids two to eight, at the ticket desk or on the website, a bit tired, with a kid pulling on their sleeve. They'll give a video about 20 seconds.
What they think now
“Memberships are for families who come all the time. That's not us.”
What we want them to think
“If we come three times it's paid for. And parking's included.”
The one thing to say
Three visits pays for the whole year.
Reasons to believe
A membership costs about the same as three day visits. Parking, $12 a visit, is included.
Mandatories
Film in public galleries during closed hours. A signed release for every child on camera. Captions burned in.
Deliverables
A 60 second website video, a 20 second lobby cut, three 15 second social cuts in 9:16, and a version with no voiceover.
Timing
Kickoff 21 September, shoot 17 and 18 October, rough cut 28 October, final 7 November.
What this kind of brief needsWhere it's watched and with how much attention, plus every cut listed before the shoot, because the cuts change what gets filmed.
Daybreak makes a mineral sunscreen with no white cast. It sells well with people who wear sunscreen daily and barely registers with people who only wear it at the beach.
The problem
People think daily sunscreen is a skincare step for other people, not a normal part of getting ready.
If we do nothing
Daybreak stays a favorite with skincare fans while bigger brands take everyday sunscreen.
Who it's for
People in their twenties and thirties with no skincare routine. They try what a few trusted creators use, as long as nobody makes a big deal of it.
What they think now
“Sunscreen is for the beach. The everyday stuff is greasy and makes me look like a ghost.”
What we want them to think
“It's just the thing I put on before I leave. You can't even tell.”
The one thing to say
Sunscreen you forget you're wearing.
Reasons to believe
No white cast, shown on camera in daylight. Dries in under a minute, works under makeup, and is fragrance free.
Mandatories
Every post labeled as a paid partnership with the platform's own tool. No medical or anti-aging claims. No skin filters.
Deliverables
Eight creators from fashion, fitness and everyday life. One short video and two stories each. 90 days of rights to run them as ads. No script.
Timing
Kickoff 1 October, contracts signed 20 October, content in 3 November, posts live 10 to 21 November.
What this kind of brief needsFirm rules and loose words. Creators won't read a line off a card, so give them the idea in plain words and let them say it their way.
A 25 person accounting firm for small businesses and freelancers. The site was built in 2017. Most new clients are referrals who look at the site before they call.
The problem
Referred clients visit the site to check whether the firm is right for them, and it doesn't tell them.
If we do nothing
Some referrals go somewhere else after looking at the site, and the firm keeps getting calls for work it's moving away from.
Who it's for
Owners of small businesses, and freelancers whose income got complicated. Someone gave them the firm's name, and they're checking it on their phone.
What they think now
“Accountants all seem the same. I'll call and see if they even take clients my size.”
What we want them to think
“They work with businesses like mine, and I can see about what it costs before I call.”
The one thing to say
Accountants for small businesses, with prices you can see before you call.
Reasons to believe
Most clients have fewer than 20 employees. Monthly packages show a starting price. Every client gets a named accountant.
Mandatories
Meets WCAG 2.1 AA. Keeps the booking tool they already pay for. No stock photos of handshakes or calculators.
Deliverables
Sitemap, templates and copy for the homepage, three service pages, pricing, team and contact. Mobile designs first.
Timing
Kickoff 7 October, design routes 30 October, final designs 20 November, live mid-January.
What this kind of brief needsWhat the visitor is trying to check when they arrive, and who writes the copy. Skip the copy and the designs fill up with placeholder text.
Supper Club sends meal kits to about 60,000 homes. Around 18,000 customers paused in the last six months. Since then it added 20 minute recipes and smaller boxes for two.
The problem
People paused because cooking the kits took too long on weeknights, and they don't know that's been fixed.
If we do nothing
Paused customers stay paused, and generic promo codes teach them to wait for a discount.
Who it's for
Small households who liked the food but paused after boxes sat uncooked on busy weeks. They read email on their phone in the evening and delete anything that looks like a sale.
What they think now
“It was good, but I felt guilty every time a box sat in the fridge.”
What we want them to think
“Oh, they have quick ones now. I could do that on a Tuesday.”
The one thing to say
Supper Club got faster, so it fits a weeknight now.
Reasons to believe
A new line of recipes that take 20 minutes or less, with the time on every card. Three-meal boxes for two. Skip any week in one tap.
Mandatories
No discount in the first two emails. Every email links to skip a week. Subject lines under 45 characters.
Deliverables
Three emails over two weeks, with subject lines, preview text and test options. A landing page with this week's 20 minute recipes.
Timing
Kickoff 6 October, client review 17 October, test sends 22 October, first send 27 October.
What this kind of brief needsWhy people left, said plainly, and the number, order and trigger of every email. Without those you get one pretty email that says “we miss you.”
Tallow makes outdoor gear with a lifetime repair promise most customers never use, because mail-in repair takes about four weeks. This spring two repair techs take a van to six cities.
The problem
People think of repairs as a hassle, so they replace gear instead of fixing it.
If we do nothing
The repair promise stays a line on the website, and Tallow sounds like every other outdoor brand that talks about sustainability.
Who it's for
People who hike and camp most weekends and have a jacket with a broken zipper in a closet. They follow local trail groups and go to free events with friends.
What they think now
“I'll deal with that zipper eventually. It's probably easier to get a new one.”
What we want them to think
“I brought my jacket in on Saturday and watched them fix it while I had a coffee.”
The one thing to say
Bring us your broken gear and watch it get fixed.
Reasons to believe
Free repairs on any Tallow product, and most take under 30 minutes. Other brands' gear can be fixed for a small fee.
Mandatories
Saturday and Sunday, 10 to 4, at a partner outdoor shop. A van footprint of 20 by 10 feet. Walk-ups always work.
Deliverables
A tour name and look for the van, signs and social. Invitations for trail groups. A sign-up page by city. A short video from each weekend.
Timing
Kickoff 3 February, sign-ups open 16 March, first stop 4 April, last stop 17 May.
What this kind of brief needsThe hard limits of the space, and the work before and after the day. Most event briefs only cover the day itself.
A kids' cereal sold in 14 states. In January the recipe drops to half the sugar, with the same taste in blind tests. The box hasn't changed in nine years.
The problem
Parents assume a bright kids' cereal box means a sugar bomb, so they walk past it.
If we do nothing
Parents keep walking past, kids keep asking, and the new recipe changes nothing because nobody can tell from the aisle.
Who it's for
Parents of kids 4 to 10 on a weekly grocery run, often with a kid in the cart. They give the cereal aisle a few seconds.
What they think now
“They love it, but I'm not buying that. It's basically candy.”
What we want them to think
“Half the sugar and they still like it? Fine, that one can go in the cart.”
The one thing to say
The cereal kids ask for, with half the sugar.
Reasons to believe
8 grams of sugar per serving, down from 16. Kids picked it over the old recipe in blind taste tests. Whole grain oats are the main ingredient.
Mandatories
Keep the yellow and the sun logo. Sugar claims match the nutrition panel exactly. Recyclable board only.
Deliverables
Front, back and side panels for three flavors, the single-serve box, a shelf strip, print files and 3D renders.
Timing
Kickoff 8 September, shopper testing 13 October, final artwork 10 November, on shelves in January.
What this kind of brief needsThe shopper's few seconds in the aisle, and a list of what can't change. Packaging redesigns go wrong when the team finds those out late.
A single origin roaster with six retail lines and a subscription it has never pushed. Retail is flat, and the shelf price has gone up twice this year.
The problem
People buy one bag, like it, and then forget to buy another one.
If we do nothing
The subscription stays a rounding error, and the brand becomes a nice bag nobody thinks about between purchases.
Who it's for
Someone who already buys good coffee and has run out on a Tuesday morning more than once. Not a coffee person. They just don't want to think about it.
What they think now
“Subscriptions are how they get you. I'll just buy another bag when I need it.”
What we want them to think
“This is one fewer thing I have to remember.”
The one thing to say
Better coffee, without thinking about it again.
Reasons to believe
You pick the roast and the pace. You can skip a delivery in two taps. The first bag costs the same as the shelf.
Mandatories
The roaster's logo on pack. The skip policy visible before anyone enters a card.
Deliverables
Six paid social cuts, a three email welcome flow, and a pack insert for every first order.
Timing
Kickoff 22 September, client review 13 October, live 3 November.
What this kind of brief needsThe honest objection to subscriptions, and the proof that answers it. Here that's the skip button, which is why it's a mandatory.
The ten briefs above share a few habits. None of them are hard. Each one just takes a decision someone would rather put off.
One problem, in one sentence
Write a problem in people's lives, not the client's target. “Sales are flat” is why the brief exists. “People buy one bag and forget to buy another” is something a creative team can solve.
People, not a demographic
Say what they're doing when they meet the work and what gets in the way. An age range rarely changes the work. “Scrolling on the train at night” does.
A small step in belief
What they think now and what we want them to think should be close enough that one piece of work could move someone from one to the other.
One thing to say
If it has an “and” in the middle, nobody has decided yet. Pick the half that matters more.
Proof that's a fact
“Replaced free for 90 days” beats “premium quality”. If you couldn't show it in a meeting, cut it.
Real dates and short mandatories
TBD in the timing means the timing will move. Mandatories are the things the client truly won't move on, not a wish list.
It fits on one page
If the team can't hold the whole brief in their head after one read, it's too long for anyone to work from.
A weak brief next to a better one
Here's the start of the Fernway social brief written the way a lot of briefs arrive, next to the version above.
Weak
The problem
We need to raise awareness of Fernway and drive online sales.
Who it's for
Millennials 25 to 40, urban, interested in home decor and wellness.
The one thing to say
Fernway is the easy, affordable and sustainable way to bring nature home.
Better
The problem
People are afraid they'll kill the plant, so they don't buy one for themselves.
Who it's for
Renters in their late twenties and thirties who follow plant accounts and save the posts, but own one sad pothos. They scroll at night and on the train. They like the idea of plants more than the upkeep.
The one thing to say
You can't really kill a Fernway plant, because we'll replace it.
The weak problem is a goal, so it gives the team nothing to solve. The weak audience is a media target that fits every plant company. The weak one thing makes three claims, so the team will pick one at random, and any plant brand could say it. The better version is one fear, one kind of person and one promise only Fernway can keep.
Write yours on one page
Read how to write each section of a creative brief, or start one now. The One-Page Brief checks it for the usual problems, and you send it as a link so people can comment on the section they mean and approve it with their name.
The One-Page Strategy Kit has the creative brief, the messaging framework and the measurement plan as fillable PDFs and Word files, for when a client wants a document. It's $19.
A weekly note on account planning for agency strategists. One thing that changed, the tension in it, and what I'd do Monday. The first three parts of every issue are free.
01 Social media
Social media campaign brief example
Fernway plant care guarantee, paid and organic social
What this kind of brief needsWhere and when people see the work. A feed gives you about a second, so the one thing has to work as the first line of a caption.
Read the full social media campaign brief, with notes →Start from this one