When I was a student, I thought creative directors wanted to see ads that looked like they could win awards. I thought that was a high bar. I used to open up a One Show, CA or D&AD after completing a campaign and ask myself if it were good enough to appear in those pages.
Now, having flipped through countless student books and having observed co-workers do the same, I realize we're not looking for ads that might win a Pencil.
We're looking for ads that make us jealous.
We're looking for ads we wish we had in our own books.
We're looking for ads that honestly make us think, "I wish I'd done that."
That's your bar. I wish I could tell you how to reach it. All I can tell you that the easiest way to never reach it is to tell yourself that your campaign is "good enough."
