IS THERE STILL SPACE FOR BIG IDEAS?

December 12, 2024

Peter Trapnell

Peter Trapnell, Head of Studio, TRO, tells Little Black Book what exactly a ‘big idea’ looks like in this day and age of advertising.

This article originally appeared in Little Black Book on 21.10.24

What’s a big idea anyway?

In 2024, sentiment surrounding the big idea feels dated. The term carries baggage from the past, and connotations of excess/risk. Previously, the big idea was conceived as a way to build brands through earned media before ‘earned’ was even a thing. The nuance of it being ‘big’ just adds steroids to the language – big egos, big budget, and so on.

With all that said, big ideas are not dead. If we fast forward to 2024 and look at some Cannes winners across categories, it’s clear to see that ‘big ideas’ are very much alive and well: Heinz’ ‘It has to be Heinz’, Mastercard’s ‘Room for Everyone’, Renault’s ‘Cars to Work’, and Pop-Tarts’ ‘The Edible Mascot’.

Looking at these examples, to me, a big idea is a creative concept that garners media and/or audience attention, impacts culture, and motivates people… which is extremely difficult to do in a dopamine-fuelled culture where it’s harder than ever to stand out.

So, if the big idea hasn’t ‘died’, what’s changed exactly?

Firstly, we’ve stopped saying ‘look at this big idea’ until it’s actually a big idea in culture. A big idea also might actually start as a small idea, only to be reinterpreted as something more fluid. A big idea is now inherently associated with longevity and efficacy (like Dove’s ‘Real Beauty’).

The biggest shift we’ve noticed is that ‘big ideas’ don’t live in a specific channel or creative medium anymore. We’ve seen brand experiences reinterpreted into ‘big ideas’ and executed across paid media channels.

How to approach the big idea

We believe in thinking about its potential business impact, and how three key areas play into this.

Human motivations: Start by exploring what audiences want in their real lives and how brands can fulfil these motivations. Whether it’s through spending money on experiences or goods, being part of a community, seeking positivity, or wanting to showcase their uniqueness. We want to create experiences that transcend geography and unite cultures. Creating such profound experiences is the epitome of a big idea.

Fandoms: We’re in an age of fandom, where stans have significant influence. Amazon’s recent study found that 62% of audiences feel more positively towards brands that have been involved with their fandoms for extended periods of time. So, helping brands participate in fandoms is a crucial way we ensure big ideas foster advocacy and have longevity.

Participation: We also ask ourselves, ‘how will audiences explore and immerse themselves deeper into a big idea?’. Active participation in a brand’s story is crucial.

While the big idea may feel dated, its essence remains more relevant than ever. But for us, there is no big idea without audience participation, especially when our goal is for big ideas to travel and have big business impact.

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