Hegarty on Advertising
Turning intelligence into magic—the BBH founder's philosophy on creativity, craft, and building legendary work.
Advertising became formulaic—researchers, planners, and algorithms all trying to remove uncertainty. Hegarty wrote this book as a defense of creative intuition. He argued that creativity isn't mystical—it's intelligence made visible. The best work comes from understanding human truth and expressing it with originality. BBH's legendary campaigns weren't accidents. They were the result of disciplined thinking, cultural observation, and refusing to settle for safe. This is the creative manifesto from the man who proved it works.
"Creativity isn't an ad hoc act—it's a process. A process of taking intelligence, wrapping it in magic, and giving it a life of its own. When you get it right, it becomes part of the culture."
Creativity Is Intelligence Made Visible
Great advertising isn't decoration. It's strategic insight expressed through craft. You can't polish stupidity into brilliance. The idea has to be smart before it can be beautiful.
Simplicity Is Complexity Resolved
Simple work is harder than complicated work. It requires understanding the problem so deeply you can express it in a single idea. Most advertising is cluttered because the thinking is cluttered.
Be Unfashionably Early
Don't follow trends—set them. The best work taps into cultural shifts before they're obvious. By the time everyone sees it, you're already somewhere else. Leading is uncomfortable. That's the point.
The Idea Is Everything
Execution matters, but only if the idea is strong. No amount of production value can save weak thinking. Start with the idea. If it doesn't work as a sentence, it won't work as a campaign.
Provoke, Don't Pander
Advertising should challenge, surprise, or provoke. Playing it safe is playing to lose. The work that gets remembered makes people feel something—positive or negative. Indifference is death.
Build Brands, Not Ads
Every piece of communication should add to a larger idea. One-off campaigns fade. Brands with a persistent point of view compound over time. BBH didn't make Levi's ads—they built Levi's into culture.
BBH transformed Levi's from declining denim brand to cultural icon through the 1980s. The work wasn't about jeans—it was about rebellion, independence, and American mythology. Each campaign added layers to the brand idea. This is the gold standard for long-term brand building through creativity.
BBH made engineering desirable. Rather than translating the German tagline, they kept it—making it mysterious and aspirational. Audi wasn't just another luxury car. It became the thinking person's choice. The work positioned intelligence as the ultimate luxury.
BBH turned body spray into a cultural phenomenon by embracing absurdity. The campaigns were ridiculous on purpose—over-the-top fantasies that young men aspired to and laughed at simultaneously. It worked because it didn't take itself seriously. The brand became a punchline and a best-seller.
BBH created one of the most enduring brand ideas in spirits. "Keep Walking" wasn't about whisky—it was about progress, resilience, and moving forward. The campaign worked globally because the insight was universal. Great brands stand for something bigger than their product.
"The world is run by people who turn up. So turn up, stand up, and speak up. You never know what's going to happen."
On the necessity of showing up and participating
"If you want to be a creative person, you have to be comfortable with being uncomfortable. You're going to fail more than you succeed. That's how creativity works."
On embracing risk and failure
"Don't compete—create. Competition is for losers. When you compete, you're always looking over your shoulder. When you create, you're looking ahead."
On differentiation through originality
"An idea can change your life. And if it's a good enough idea, it can change the world."
On the power of ideas
It's written by someone who actually did it. This isn't theory—it's field notes from building legendary campaigns. Hegarty created work that entered culture, not just media plans. His principles come from winning, not consulting.
It defends creativity when creativity needs defending. In an era of programmatic media, performance marketing, and AI-generated content, Hegarty makes the case for human intuition. Creativity isn't frivolous—it's the thing that makes brands matter. The book reminds strategists why craft still counts.
It connects strategy and execution. Hegarty doesn't separate "the idea" from "the work." Great advertising requires both—insight wrapped in magic. The book shows how BBH's best campaigns started with strategic clarity and became cultural artifacts through creative courage.
It's philosophy, not tactics. The book won't teach you how to optimize Facebook ads. It will teach you how to think about building brands that people remember, talk about, and choose. The principles work regardless of channel or technology because they're about human psychology and cultural dynamics.
Who should read it: Creative directors trying to sell brave work. Strategists who want to understand how insights become iconic campaigns. CMOs tired of safe, forgettable advertising. Anyone who believes brands should be more than product features and performance metrics.
The Independent Agency Revolution (1980s): BBH launched during the explosion of London's creative independents—alongside Saatchi & Saatchi, AMV BBDO, and others. These agencies rejected the bureaucracy of holding companies and the tyranny of research-driven creativity. They believed in the power of an idea, executed brilliantly. BBH proved the model worked—winning clients, awards, and market share.
The Golden Age of TV Advertising (1980s–1990s): When Hegarty built BBH, television was the dominant medium. A single 60-second spot could change a brand's trajectory. This era rewarded creativity—you couldn't A/B test your way to "Laundrette" or "When the World Zigs, Zag." You had to trust intuition, craft, and cultural instinct. Hegarty thrived in this environment.
The Digital Shift (2000s–2010s): By the time Hegarty wrote this book, digital had fractured advertising. Performance marketing, programmatic buying, and social media were eroding the creative model. The book was both celebration and warning—a reminder that technology changes channels, but human psychology doesn't. Great brands still need great ideas.
Why It Endures: Hegarty on Advertising survives because creativity never goes out of style. Performance marketing optimizes what exists. Creativity creates what didn't. The brands that win long-term—Apple, Nike, Tesla—still follow Hegarty's playbook: find the insight, express it beautifully, and refuse to be boring. Channels evolve. That principle doesn't.