Insights

Creativity from constraint. (AKA the MacGyver Method.)

As a smaller agency, one of the things we admire is the power of an idea that doesn't rely on big budgets, elaborate re-touching, exotic locations or the high-end TV shoot.

Often, the constraints of not having enough money, time, good photography, footage, actors, etc., are seen as setbacks, but this can be a blessing in disguise. Constraint forces you into a corner, but it sharpens your thinking.

On the '80s TV show MacGyver, a running theme was to see the title character attempting to solve precarious, no-way-out situations, say, tied to a chair with a nuclear bomb attached to his lap. His only tools for escape? A nearby paperclip, a dixie cup filled with whipped cream and a yo-yo. Somehow, he found his way out every time.

Constraint focuses the creative and strategic processes. In many cases, limitations can be the starting point of a great brief and an effective campaign.

How has constraint inspired your work?