Two or three whole concepts, ranked

Each concept is a whole answer to the brief, built on its own engine.

• Concepts differ in mechanism [proven], never three versions of one mechanism. Name each concept's mechanism before developing; if two match, replace one from your long list.

• Three by default, ranked, the recommended one first. Two when only two reach the standard. Never pad with a weaker idea (decided).

• Rank by conviction, not by safety. Each concept's page says in plain words how bold it is, so the client sees the range from safer to bolder.

• If anyone asks to merge two concepts, don't merge silently. Set out what the merge keeps and what it breaks, and decide before you write anything.

Key frames: 3–6 per concept, for the moments that carry the idea: the setup, the turn, the product moment and the ending. They are storyboard images, never start frames. Before casting, people are described specifically, never by a real person's name. Estimate them before you make them. Every frame passes the checks in Still prompts, storyboard frames and diagrams → Before a frame goes on a page: the full size, the hard stops, the reference bar (a frame weaker on two points is remade) and no pixel fixes (decided). The usual AI defaults fail unless the concept chose them [best available, not yet validated] (see Making it feel real → The usual AI defaults to avoid). How they are made: Still prompts, storyboard frames and diagrams → Presentation and storyboard frames.

Sources

• Few, whole, ranked concepts: the DBA's What Clients Think report (The Drum), the IPA and de Zoete (Campaign Middle East, 2022).