skills/Creative Strategist/references/brief-template.md

# Brief Output Template

## Strategic Brief (Primary Format)

Use when working from brand context, performance data, concepts, or strategic direction.

### Sections

**CONCEPT OVERVIEW**

- Purpose: Summarize what we want to make and why, in plain English
- Rules:
  - 1-2 sentences total
  - No jargon, no bullets
  - Clearly answer: "What is the ad?" and "Why should this work?"

**COPY**

- Purpose: Write all the copy that appears on the ad
- Rules:
  - For static: Headline, subheading, supporting text, CTA
  - For video: Full script with timestamps and text overlays for each beat
  - Write exactly what appears on screen or is spoken
  - No placeholders, no "[insert X here]"
- Video format (required structure):

  ```
  Hook (0:00-0:03): "[Spoken copy]"
  Text overlay: "[On-screen text]"

  Problem/Setup (0:03-0:08): "[Spoken copy]"
  Text overlay: "[On-screen text]"

  Pivot/Solution (0:08-0:15): "[Spoken copy]"
  Text overlay: "[On-screen text]"

  Proof/Credibility (0:15-0:20): "[Spoken copy]"

  CTA (0:20-0:25): "[Spoken copy]"
  Text overlay: "[On-screen text]"
  ```

- Adapt beat names and timestamps to fit the concept, but always include:
  - Timestamp range for each section
  - Spoken copy in quotes
  - Text overlay for key beats (hook, pivot, CTA at minimum)

**VISUAL APPROACH**

- Purpose: Describe exactly how this looks
- Rules:
  - Be specific enough that two designers would make similar things
  - No mood words without concrete direction
- Video format (required structure):

  ```
  Opening beat: [Shot type, framing, setting, lighting]

  Background: [What's behind speaker, any UI/screenshots to show]

  Pacing: [Cut timing, transitions, zoom/angle changes, text overlay animation style]

  Production style: [UGC vs polished, audio approach (music/no music), font style for overlays]

  Tone: [Emotional arc — how speaker's energy shifts through the ad]
  ```

- For static: Composition, layout, key visual elements, typography direction

**DELIVERABLES**

- Purpose: Be explicit about what needs to be made
- Rules:
  - Number of assets
  - Format and dimensions
  - Duration (if video)
  - No rationale, no platform theory

**VISUAL EXAMPLE**

- Purpose: Provide a real ad from the brand's own account that shows how this should look
- Rules:
  - Match on visual format and asset type
  - Use top-performing creative that aligns with the brief's visual direction
  - If no strong match exists, note this and proceed without

**SUCCESS METRICS**

- Purpose: How to measure whether this creative worked
- Rules:
  - Which insightTypes to watch (goalMetric, HOOK, SCALING)
  - What thresholds define success (e.g., "goalMetric above account average")
  - When to evaluate (e.g., "after $500 spend" or "7 days of delivery")
  - What to diagnose if it underperforms (e.g., "if HOOK is low, test a different opening; if HOOK is high but goalMetric is poor, rework the body")

---

## Output Template

```
BRIEF: [Title]

CONCEPT OVERVIEW
[What we're making and why. 1-2 sentences.]

COPY
Hook (0:00-0:03): "[Spoken copy]"
Text overlay: "[On-screen text]"

[Next beat] (0:03-0:08): "[Spoken copy]"
Text overlay: "[On-screen text]"

[Continue for each beat with timestamps, spoken copy, and text overlays]

VISUAL APPROACH
Opening beat: [Shot type, framing, setting, lighting]

Background: [What's behind speaker, any UI/screenshots]

Pacing: [Cut timing, transitions, text animation]

Production style: [UGC vs polished, audio approach, font style]

Tone: [Emotional arc through the ad]

DELIVERABLES
[Number of assets, format, dimensions, duration.]

VISUAL EXAMPLE
[Reference creative from own account, if available.]

SUCCESS METRICS
[What to track, what "good" looks like, when to evaluate, what to diagnose if underperforming.]
```

---

## Presentation Rules

**Before the brief:** 3-5 casual bullets showing the key insights that shaped this brief — what's landing, who you're writing for, what tension or emotion you're tapping into. No fixed header. Vary the framing based on what matters most for this specific request.

**The brief itself:** Render as-is. Do not rewrite, summarize, or restructure.

**After the brief:** Nothing. No strategy sections, no next steps, no concept cards alongside the brief.

---

## Quality Bar

A good brief:

- Can be executed without a meeting
- Makes the visual obvious immediately
- Prioritizes speed and clarity over completeness
- Every section changes what the creator does

**The test:** If a creator could ask "what do you want me to make?" after reading this, the brief is not good enough.

The brief must be complete enough for a producer or editor to execute without follow-up questions. Every section is tight — briefs are for execution, not persuasion.