Why Your Gut Knows The Idea Is Great Before You Do
Great advertising ideas don’t come with a flashing neon sign that says, “Pick me, I’m the one!” No, they arrive wrapped in ambiguity, trapped in your gut in a haze of emotion that is impossible sometimes to describe. So how do you know when an idea is great?
You just… feel it. But what is going on here? Let’s take a look.
It’s a shortcut to clarity.
A gut feeling isn’t just some mystical sixth sense—it’s the unconscious mind rapidly processing vast amounts of accumulated experience and knowledge. Studies show that intuition isn’t random but the result of the brain recognizing patterns too complex for the conscious mind to articulate in real-time. This ability allows for quick, effective decision-making, especially in ambiguous or high-pressure situations, where over-analysis can lead to hesitation or missed opportunities.
In short, it’s a shortcut to clarity.
When you love an idea “for some reason,” that gut feeling is the sum total of everything you’ve absorbed, synthesized into an immediate and unshakable conviction. The best advertising minds know this. And they don’t just have good gut-instincts, they proactively build them.
And how do they do that?
By loading up their unconscious minds with relevant content. More specifically as it relates to advertising, by immersing themselves in three key areas—three circles of knowledge that form the foundation of creative decision-making. The more deeply you load yourself up with these, the more powerful your advertising gut instincts become.
The Three Circles of Creative Instinct
1. Cultural Literacy: The Fuel for Relevance
The best ad ideas don’t exist in a vacuum, they exist in culture. Whether it’s shifting social norms, emerging trends, or the nostalgic echoes of pop culture, the world outside your brand dictates how your message will be received.
Great creative minds are cultural sponges. They don’t just want to know what’s happening; they want to understand why it’s happening and where it’s headed next. They look for patterns before they become trends. They recognize cultural tensions before they explode.
When your gut tells you an idea will break through, remember what, exactly, it’s breaking through—culture. And it’s likely because your mind has already connected the idea to something bigger than itself—a movement, a moment, or a mindset already stirring out there in the world.
2. Audience Understanding: The Lens of Empathy
It doesn’t matter how much an idea excites you if it doesn’t resonate with the people you’re trying to reach.
The best advertising minds don’t just study audience research; they inhabit it. They understand what makes their audience tick—not just demographics, but motivations, fears, aspirations, and unspoken desires.
Your gut will betray you if it’s based only on your personal tastes. The best creative instincts are built on empathy, on the ability to see the world through someone else’s eyes. When your gut tells you this idea will work, it’s because you’ve trained it to think like your audience.
3. Brand Truth: The Guardrails of Strategy
Creativity isn’t just about originality—it’s about effectiveness. A brilliant idea that doesn’t serve the brand’s purpose or move the business forward is just creative for creative’s sake.
A strong gut instinct isn’t just about spotting good ideas; it’s about spotting the right ideas. The ones that align with the brand’s DNA, reinforce its positioning, and contribute to its business objectives. Evaluating ideas becomes less about what YOU would do in the marketplace and more about what THE BRAND would do in the marketplace.
Beyond brand, if you know how your client makes money, where their growth is coming from, what their customers value, and what their competitors fear, your gut instincts will scream extra loudly.
The Takeaway: Trust Your Gut—But Train It First
Great creative instincts don’t come outta nowhere. They come from curiosity, from exposure, from observation, and from study.
So if you want to make faster, better creative decisions, don’t wait for instincts to develop on their own. Load yourself up with culture. Immerse yourself in your audience. Master your client’s brand.
Do all that, and you can trust your gut to do the rest.
Will Burns is the Founder & CEO of the revolutionary virtual-idea-generating company, Ideasicle X. He’s an advertising veteran from such agencies as Wieden & Kennedy, Goodby Silverstein, Arnold Worldwide, and Mullen. He was a Forbes Contributor for nine years writing about creativity in modern branding. Sign up for the Ideasicle Newsletter and never miss a post like this. Will’s bio.