Agency Launches Free-Range Briefing Programme to Encourage Natural Idea Growth
Auckland-based creative agency Hoot & Signal has announced a new approach to brief development that promises to "liberate the idea chicken" by allowing creative briefs to roam freely across the agency before being penned into a deck.
Dubbed the 'Free-Range Briefing Programme,' the scheme involves placing physical briefs—laminated A4 sheets with vague problem statements and stunningly inconsistent KPIs—around the office in unexpected places. One was found pinned under an oat milk carton in the kitchen. Another appeared in a toilet cubicle, wedged next to a scented candle and a 2020 Cannes Lions Annual.
Affirming their commitment to 'organic insight hatching,' the agency has also abolished calendars, project scoping documents and any form of timekeeping. Creative Director Lena Harford explained, "We noticed ideas were being treated like battery hens, expected to lay golden eggs on command. Now, we let them peck around, cross roads, question why, then suddenly appear in a team Slack thread at 2:43am with no context."
Account managers have reportedly embraced the chaos, having been issued special 'brief trackers'—Fitbits repurposed to vibrate whenever a brief has been sitting in a beanbag area for over 15 minutes. "We’re not herding cats," said Harford. "We’re gently suggesting the cats form a primary narrative bucket."
Hoot & Signal is already pitching the methodology to clients nationwide, offering paid workshops where brand managers sniff sharpies in a yurt and attempt to intuit campaign goals from mood boards printed on artisan felt.
Dubbed the 'Free-Range Briefing Programme,' the scheme involves placing physical briefs—laminated A4 sheets with vague problem statements and stunningly inconsistent KPIs—around the office in unexpected places. One was found pinned under an oat milk carton in the kitchen. Another appeared in a toilet cubicle, wedged next to a scented candle and a 2020 Cannes Lions Annual.
Affirming their commitment to 'organic insight hatching,' the agency has also abolished calendars, project scoping documents and any form of timekeeping. Creative Director Lena Harford explained, "We noticed ideas were being treated like battery hens, expected to lay golden eggs on command. Now, we let them peck around, cross roads, question why, then suddenly appear in a team Slack thread at 2:43am with no context."
Account managers have reportedly embraced the chaos, having been issued special 'brief trackers'—Fitbits repurposed to vibrate whenever a brief has been sitting in a beanbag area for over 15 minutes. "We’re not herding cats," said Harford. "We’re gently suggesting the cats form a primary narrative bucket."
Hoot & Signal is already pitching the methodology to clients nationwide, offering paid workshops where brand managers sniff sharpies in a yurt and attempt to intuit campaign goals from mood boards printed on artisan felt.