Well, it’s that time of year again.

No, I’m not talking about people decorating their cars like reindeer – which I never really understood. Are you sitting inside Rudolph? Ewwww.

And I’m not talking about those weary parents who have to find 25 x mischievous scenarios for an Elf who’s clearly off their shelf. A word of advice: Don’t set the standard too high too early.

I’m not even talking about the back-to-back parties – where the risk of senior managers behaving badly keeps HR awake all night until New Year.

No, it’s the event which creatives fear all year. More than the Cannes Lion deadline. More than the awkward celebration with client. Even more than the annual review with HR.

It’s time for the last-minute Christmas brief.

Honestly, I’m not sure how Christmas ever comes as a surprise. But, ironically, you can set your clock by it. This time of year, every year, a hand grenade brief appears in the creative department. Quick, we need an electronic Christmas card. Or a Christmas video. Or a last-minute Christmas lunch invite. Or a promo because no-one’s buying our credit card/salty snacks/kitchen appliances/beer/wine/widget/flights/cars/toy/consulting services/whatever.

Surely, your planner, suit and client owns a calendar. Or hears Maria Carrey’s distinctive warble. Or visits a shopping centre in early October when the first string of tinsel appears.

Yet here we are again. So why, as creatives, is our first instinct to run?

Because it feels like everything’s been done a million times. Because John Lewis has set such an impossibly high standard. How do you compete? How can you possibly find something original? With no time? And no budget?

So, here’s my Christmas gift to all of you – particularly for all those young creatives staring into space trying to re-write ‘Ho-Ho-Ho’ as ‘10% off’. Or wishing mistletoe was a ‘thing’ here. Or desperately trying to make a red suit work for a green brand.

Give yourself a Christmas break.

Because much as the planner, suit and client will try to convince you this is an opportunity, in my experience, it’s poisoned eggnog. You’ve spent all year hunting down original ideas on tricky briefs. Looking for analogy ideas, demonstration ideas, and ways to do problem-solution ideas without mentioning the problem.

So, just this once, make your life simple. Use the prop as a headline. Or the insight. Draw up the brief. Use the brand guideline literally. Save your brain power for the new year.

If anyone complains, tell them Santa said it was OK. And he controls the naughty list.

Cover image by Kira auf der Heide

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Rob Morrison is a rarity in advertising – a grey-haired creative. Rob’s experience includes time as a Creative Director at Ogilvy, BWM (now BWM Dentsu), George Patterson Y&R (now VMLY&R), Campaign Palace and Wunderman. He now runs his own consultancy – morrison.collective.

Here are two more opinion pieces from Rob Morrison: