Dent The Universe

I once received a creative brief for a very prominent cookie company. 

Near the bottom of the brief, among the project goals, was the client’s requirement that the creative work “put a dent in the universe”. 

I called my wife: I wouldn’t be able to meet her at Cafe Loup after work. Instead, I’d be busy trying to change the world. Through a static banner ad. For cookies. 

Denting the universe, of course, is an oft-used Steve Jobs quote, referencing a goal he set for Apple - a goal he achieved time and again. On one hand, you have an iPad. In another, an ad campaign about an iPad. In our industry, both are treated with equal reverence. 

While the goal is noble, it might make me a pariah to point out that an ad itself cannot actually dent the universe. And the pressure to do so is making our industry a very serious one, filled with pressure and long hours to achieve what engineering or politics is better suited for. Even when an ad is for a cause, not a product, it struggles:

A billboard cannot sequester carbon underground (although if it could …. Imagine what awards it could win). 

A social video couldn’t keep Donald Trump from being elected (every agency tried).

The most awarded gun control ads have yet to pass gun safety legislation.

But no matter. The universe’s problems are the plum assignments at any agency. World threats are good for a portfolio. You want something that causes pain or death or sadness - That makes for more impactful case studies. 

And when you aren’t lucky enough to get a brief for genital mutilation, dog abuse, or refugees, the good news is, these days, you can turn any client into a cause. Burgers against bullying. The life changing power of socks. Every company has a cause. Hence, my cookie brief. 

Yes, corporate responsibility is a good movement. And agencies that push clients into cleaner spaces deserve recognition. The most effective campaigns aren’t ads at all - they are tools: Sustainable packaging redesigns. Apps that monitor health. 

But all the serious talk about shifting culture and denting universes is straining the scaffolding of an industry designed to serve clients.

In between all of those assignments are regular ones. Let’s shield these briefs from the pressure to change the world.

Sometimes, we are just selling cookies.