Some creatives are just luckier than others.

I’ve been luckier than most. I’ve had the chance to work with and for creatives who’ve delivered some amazing work. Local talent who’ve gone on to have amazing careers in other countries. Or in other industries. But there’s one piece of work from one creative which will always stand out.

My first CD wrote ‘yes’ for Optus.

It’s one of Australia’s longest running consistent campaign lines. It’s survived a million executions – from animal analogies and stickmen to being writ large within each image. It’s even on manhole covers – talk about winning metal.

Why has it been so powerful? Because things change when you say “yes”. Opportunities open. Arguments end. Moods shift. The game changes.

It was the most powerful word we had. Until now.

But now, we need a change. Why? Because we’re at a creative breaking point. Clients are demanding their agencies deliver against high objectives with low budgets. Approval timelines blow out, yet delivery dates don’t move. Margins are squeezed. Wages fall. Moral sinks.

Remember the famous Creative Triangle of “Great, Fast, Cheap” where clients can only choose two? Guess which one always gets sacrificed? Yep, “Great” becomes optional. But there is a way out.

Seems we’ve forgotten the word “no”.

Put simply, we all need to say “no” more often. “No” to suits and planners. “No” to clients:

• Sorry, we took longer to approve it, but the launch day can’t change. “No”.
• Sorry, we like the scamps but can’t approve it until we see full visuals. “No”.
• Sorry, we showed the boss and now it all has to change. “No”.
• Sorry, the brief has changed but presentation date has not. “No”.
• Sorry, you can’t have a pay rise but we can promote you. “No”.

Clearly, tone is important.

It’s not about aggressiveness. Or tantrum throwing. You can deliver a ‘No’ with calm, quiet, confidence. We all need to be brave enough to say it, mean it and stick to it.

Because things change when you say “no”. Opportunities open. Arguments end. Moods shift. The game changes.

Now that’s a powerful word.

Rob Morrison is a long-running creative. He was creative director at Ogilvy Australia for seven years and before that milestone, creative director at BWM (now BWM Dentsu), George Patterson Y&R (now VMLY&R), The Campaign Palace and Wunderman.