A spirited discussion erupted on LinkedIn after Jolomi Awala, Executive Creative Director, used a humorous yet striking visual analogy to critique the state of creative briefs in advertising.

In his post titled “My Brief of Many Colours: Between Magic and Mayhem,” Awala shared illustrated sketches of men’s pant briefs in different colors, shapes, and sizes to symbolize the confusing and inconsistent nature of briefs often handed to creatives.

He humorously compared these briefs to the chaos that unfolds when teams are expected to “make it viral” or “deliver premium work on a small budget.” Through this playful metaphor, Awala captured the daily frustrations of creatives who must make sense of unclear instructions while still producing excellent results.

He argued that while creative teams often pull off miracles through talent and persistence, the industry needs more aligned, transparent, and courageous briefing processes.

Awala proposed what he called “Brief Therapy Sessions”, which is an open, judgment-free forums where all stakeholders drop their PowerPoints and answer one honest question: “What are we really trying to solve here?”

His post immediately ignited a vibrant exchange among professionals across the creative and marketing community on LinkedIn.

Clarity vs Chaos in Collaboration

Odogwu Isaac, Creative Lead, Art Direction (Assistant Manager) and award-winning designer, applauded Awala’s analogy, saying the creative process flourishes only when each stakeholder respects their role. “When everyone understands their lane and stays in it, creation stops being a battlefield and becomes a beautiful collaboration,” he said.

Opone Fabian, Assistant Manager, Art Direction at Ogilvy, admitted that Awala’s post “hit home.” He likened the creative struggle to “turning water into wine with zero grapes and a two-day deadline.” Fabian argued that involving every stakeholder early on creates sharper ideas, realistic timelines, and a more balanced workflow.

Ego and the Need for Humility

Cephas Afolabi, a marketing communications professional who has worked with MTN and Oando, praised Awala’s creative analogy but stressed that success in such sessions hinges on humility. “Your ego must be a Muslim’s footwear at the mosque, leave it at the door,” he quipped, urging both agencies and clients to view each other as partners, not adversaries.

Supporting this point, Edemekong Uyoh, Global Head of Marketing & Communications at the British Council, noted that “ego is the main culprit” behind many client-agency tensions.

Crafting Better Briefs

Gift Uche-Ewule, an award-winning brand manager, observed that many frustrations could be avoided if briefers visualized outcomes, communicated clearly, and set realistic expectations. Nonso Wilson, a brand storyteller, humorously added, “The brief always comes with very brief objectives; keep it brief, and the deadline, briefer.”

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Gbenga Jacobs, Senior Copywriter and Content Strategist, linked unclear briefs to deeper communication gaps between clients and agencies. “If we can’t tell the client the brief isn’t clear, then we’re not doing ourselves justice,” he said.

Efosa Omorodion, Communication Accounts Director, described his agency’s process of receiving, interrogating, and debriefing every brief across departments but admitted that client-side changes still cause “scope creep.”

Closing the exchange, Olamide Bello, Account Director at Ogilvy, stressed the power of detailed briefing sessions. “If we spend quality time with the brief, execution becomes seamless,” she affirmed.

Through this colorful analogy of men’s briefs and the ensuing LinkedIn conversation, Awala reignited a timeless industry debate on how to transform confusion into clarity and rebuild trust between client ambition and creative execution.

 

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