The belief that anything can be great.

While working on TCF Bank, we always had client meetings on Tuesday mornings. The hope was that the agency (Ruhr-Paragon in Minneapolis) would have a concept approved and the work would be produced in time to run in the Friday edition of the newspaper.

That didn’t happen for the senior creative team assigned to an ad that was to communicate that the bank was to be open for business on Presidents’ Day. They came back to the agency on one of those Tuesdays with no ad approved. All of their work had died. They spent the afternoon thinking up more ideas. At about 6PM, the team showed up at the door of me and my partners office. “We have this assignment, that we haven’t quite cracked, can you guys help out,” they asked. “The client presentation is tomorrow morning at 10AM,” they added, and abruptly walked away.

            Not the best conditions for “concepting” a terrific piece of communication. But we chose to view it as an opportunity.

            The client liked the idea above. So did The One Show and the CA Advertising Annual.

I always tell this story to students, and Art Directors and Writers just starting their careers. Anything can be great. And it starts with the belief that you can make it that way.