Concept This.
By Todd Brashear

“The color proof looked good.”

“The chart will go in the collateral.”

“We’ll show you concepts Tuesday.”

Advertising, like most industries, has its own jargon. From time to time, you’ve probably heard this ad-speak. Of all the terms used by advertising people, “concept,” is probably the most abused, misused and misunderstood.

See, a concept isn’t really something you can show. It’s not a layout or a picture or a headline. It’s not even a combination of these things. A concept is an idea. So when advertising people say they’re “going to show you three concepts,” they’re not actually going to show you concepts at all, but visual examples that communicate three different ideas. Along the same line, a concept is not one ad. It’s the fundamental idea behind the ad or the mental thread that ties an entire campaign together.

Kinda confusing, huh? It’s no wonder that even advertising people don’t get it right.

Take my favorite current ads, the Pedigree dog food campaign. Several months into the campaign, the creative (ad-speak for “ads”) includes four television spots and several Web videos.

Watching these ads, you might think the concept is “Dogs Rule.” And you’d be wrong. That’s the tagline, or, in the old language, the slogan. Taglines and slogans are ad-speak, too. But they’re not concepts.

The concept that ties the Pedigree campaign together is the idea that Pedigree genuinely loves dogs. That the company is crazy about dogs. It’s not just for dogs. It’s FOR DOGS. According to Pedigree’s creative, the people at Pedigree are dog people. Dogs are their heroes. By saying “dogs don’t lie” and “dogs don’t pretend to be something they’re not,” the Pedigree people imply that dogs might be even better creatures than humans.

Now, that’s a brand that’s seriously for dogs. And that’s the concept.

As for me? I’m for concepts. And if you’re serious about your advertising, you should be, too. Just like in the Pedigree campaign, concepts make advertising interesting, entertaining, provocative, compelling and consistent. Without a solid concept, the Pedigree campaign would just be chasing its tail. The same goes for your advertising.

When launching a new campaign, make sure you understand the concept, not just the headline and the picture in front of you. And throughout your campaign, be sure that you and your agency remain true to the concept.

In short, concepts rule.

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