When directing creative teams I often use the word Dreamweaver, to explain the creative responsibility we have to our clients. Then comes the question, “What is a Dreamweaver?”
Simply put, a Dreamweaver creates a visual and emotional bridge between your client and your campaign proposal. The ability to weave together the threads that will answer all of the questions clients will have during your pitch. During a client pitch, I am called on to wear many hats. I must become one part Ringleader, one part Salesman, and then finally, one part Dreamweaver, the hat I enjoy most of all.
Becoming an effective Dreamweaver comes from a working knowledge of how to creatively develop an emotional connection between your clients’ brand and their audience. This helps to define the rich interplay between the consumer and the brand, effectively pulling on the heartstrings of a consumer’s reality, creating an emotional connection that will not only develop brand awareness but more importantly; long-lasting brand loyalty.
I am constantly inspiring my creative teams to “lead with emotion,” asking themselves the questions “What does this design say to me?” and “How is it affecting me emotionally?” Leading to the final question “How am I connecting with the brand?” This exercise not only is beneficial for the client’s brand, but also affords your creative team member the opportunity to flex this all-important creative muscle, and develop it into something they revisit again and again.
