Ideas on a beermat

I can’t recall what I did a week last Tuesday. But I do remember my early days as a copywriter – pre-internet, pre-mobile phones – and my first lesson in advertising. The test for a truly brilliant idea is *drum roll* does it work on the back of a beermat?

Then do the strangers on the next table get it? Other people’s opinions and reactions are a great way to road test beermat concepts (they often add real value, in the true spirit of Co-Creativity).

Of course, the acid test is: does the idea make sense and still seem like a great idea half a pint or half an hour later?

Some did, many, many didn’t. But there are so many reasons why this was excellent grounding for a career in advertising. It forced you to get to the nub of the idea. It made you sharpen your thinking. It taught you that less really is more.

Also that when ideas became so fluid they stop fitting on beer mats, it’s time to stop.

Those liquid-lunching, post-work drinking ‘Mad Men’ days are long gone. But whether you’re drinking shandy, a cappuccino or a glass of tap water, the principle remains true. And it’s a great way to programme your creative thinking.

You don’t need a screen, a wifi code or any technology than brain power. It’s refreshingly relaxing too. And you don’t really have to go to a pub. Or use a beermat. The back of an envelope, ATM advice slips or your weekend shopping list work just as well.

You should try it.

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