Rich ideas: … Which is why, although it’s just playing with words, I prefer to think about Rich Ideas. Richard Huntington describes this kind of idea as ‘generous’ meaning it’s something that every agency and partner around the brand management table doesn’t just 'get’, they can immediately think of a dozen great ways to bring it to life in their particular medium.
A Rich Idea might have instant appeal but it also has hidden depths, emotional resonance, inherent drama. If a Big Idea is like a high concept movie then a Rich Idea is like the premise for a soap opera or a series. It implies some development, some unfolding over time, some mystery.
Those high concept movies didn’t spawn a load of interesting sequels because they were so thin, the cinematic equivalents of one-liners, but a simple premise like the one for Buffy The Vampire Slayer — high-school as horror movie — conjours up an entire imaginary universe, one which its fans are still exploring. Give a good digital agency something like that to play with and they’ll do something magical, give them the average advertising idea and they’ll do a stupid flash game.
russell davies: big, rich and green