#1 Creative concepts: The key to cutting through content noise in 2025

Back after a break: A new creative focus

It's been well over six months since my last newsletter, and I'm excited to return with a fresh focus. Over the next few months, I'll dive deep into a topic that's both essential and often overlooked: creative concepts.

This isn't just a passing interest—it's a topic I believe will be one of the most important in marketing for the next few years. The skill of creating standout ideas is no longer optional.

Why does the creative layer now matter more than ever?

In 2024, on average, we scrolled past 6,000+ product messages daily. And we ignored most of them.

It's not because the products weren't valuable, but because they failed to break through the noise. The solution? A creative layer that grabs attention and makes a message stick.

Enter creative equations—a structured way to ensure your message stands out, engages, and resonates.

What is a creative equation?

The creative equation is a creative concept – a structured way to turn a clear message into an attention trap for your audience.

The creative equation works in three simple steps to transform your message into a memorable experience:

• Creative visual metaphor: An eye-catching metaphor instantly draws attention.
• Purposeful ambiguity: The metaphor is intentionally designed to include an element of mystery, prompting the audience to pause and think, "What's going on here?"
• Textual Explanation: A clear and concise message accompanies the visual, unraveling the mystery and memorably delivering the core idea.

The result? A message that stands out and keeps your audience engaged long enough to remember it.

Examples of creative equations

Below are five standout examples from agencies around the world. Each demonstrates how creative equations can grab attention, engage curiosity, and deliver a memorable message. Let's break down how they work!

Volkswagen Complex Parking (Agency: Grabarz & Partner, Hamburg, Germany):

Why is Volkswagen being parked in the complex equation?
Because Volkswagen makes complicated parking easy.

Cobra Alarms (Agency: Naga DDB Malaysia):

Why is this person ready to bang the cymbals?
Because your Cobra Alarm is on constant stand-by to warn about break-ins.

Heinz Emergency (Advertising school: S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communication, Syracuse, USA):

Why is Heinz presented as a fire extinguisher?
Because Heiz helps extinguish bland taste emergencies.

Mortein The Last Supper:

Why are rodents portrayed in The Last Supper?
Because with Mortein, it will be their last supper.

Colgate Kiwi (Agency: Cerebro Y&R, Panama):

Why are seeds removed from this kiwi?
Because Colgate dental floss removes seeds from between your teeth.

What we see in these examples:

• all five examples work as creative equations
• the visual in them attracts the attention
• deliberate ambiguity raises questions
• we look for answers to understand what is happening
• the text part provides clarity and helps us solve the equation

It's like a trap for the audience's attention – people are presented with a creative equation and tasked to solve it.

Creative, clear, and memorable.

Why use creative equations?

Here's what creative equations can do for your marketing:

• help break through content noise to grab attention
• make your message stick by turning it into an experience
• improve the performance of your ad spend by delivering impactful messaging
• level up your content and stand out from the competition
• build a stronger connection with your audience through engaging narratives
• transform content creation into a more fulfilling process
• streamline your creative process with a repeatable idea-generation method

All this without support from creative agency.

Why am I writing about this?

For a long time, creative concepts felt out of reach for marketers without access to creative agencies.

But here's the truth: creating standout concepts isn't reserved for a select few. It's a skill anyone can learn—as long as they have the proper techniques and processes.

That's precisely why I'm starting this new content experiment.

I'll break down:

• actionable creative techniques
• example breakdowns
• common mistakes (and how to avoid them)

My goal? To help you create your first creative concept and turn it into a repeatable, reliable process.

Would this be useful for you?

Let me know by voting in the poll below (and tell me which angles you'd find most valuable!).