What if a good idea was our last luxury? 🤓 In a world of noise, controversy and frantic scrolling, François Belley campaigns for a structured, embodied and above all subversive thought !
Advertising executive, ideas speaker and author of the hard-hitting " A short treatise on ideas for those who want to make themselves heard », François Belley agreed to share his vision of creativity with the We Are COM team🇧🇷 🇧🇷 Notice to those who want to make an impression: it's time to relearn how to think hard, create accurately and disrupt with elegance. 🎯
Hello François, to begin, we would like to know your definition of creativity?
Creativity is actually a rather personal concept. It depends on the universe in which the creator evolves, the medium with which he plays, and the constraints and freedoms of the market he occupies. Ultimately, It is our personalities and the level of demands we place on ourselves that dictate creativity.
So, if I had to define this notion in a simple way, I would say that creativity is the ability to take ownership of a subject and express it in a surprising, impactful and innovative way. As the Greek root of the word "idea" (ideîn meaning "to see") attests, Creativity is inseparable from vision; basically, it's a very personal way of seeing things, of seeing what others don't necessarily see.
Creativity is the ability to take ownership of a subject and express it in a surprising, impactful and innovative way.
Before we get into the nitty-gritty, can you tell us more about your career, your experiences, and your challenges as an "idea producer"? What drives you on a daily basis?
A professional advertiser, I learned my trade in the biggest agencies before joining more confidential, but agile and creative structures. Always driven by the quest for new ideas, I am now at the head of a collective of creatives. I am a strategic planner and head of the new business division: finding ideas and winning clients: that is my daily mission.
More Beyond the world of advertising, I present myself more as a “producer of ideas.” This is what is mentioned on my business card. Placing the idea at the center of all reflection and above all placing myself at the intersection of worlds (advertising, artistic, cultural, literary, political): this is my ambition. According to desires and currents, my ideas are therefore expressed in different ways: in the form of communication campaigns, writing books, artistic exhibitions, publishing board games, composing albums: basically, the medium is only a means to serve a strong idea.
I aspire to three things: to feel society and its major trends, to capture the era with each of my speeches, and to constantly explore new subjects.
Your latest book, "A Short Treatise on Ideas for Those Who Want to Make Themselves Heard," was recently published. What are the aims of this work?
I was just talking about the intersection of worlds. This book, fruit of 20 years of reading, work and meetings, is at the crossroads between several disciplines such as advertising, art, philosophy and even politics.
Who is it for? First of all, anyone who has something to say in the world of ideas. The ambition of this work is twofold. On the one hand, This book seeks to help creators make themselves heard in an extremely noisy society. : a society dominated by social networks and the reign of video, continuous news channels and endless debate, the dictates of controversy and clash. On the other hand, It encourages action, here and now. This manual was designed, both in content and in form, to provide concrete solutions, to engage the reader and challenge thinking.
Exactly, what are the ingredients of a good idea?
A good idea is, above all, a preserved idea: preserved from outside opinions and comments; preserved from acute meetingitis; preserved also from the "death row" where ideas are often massacred. The "Petit Traité des idées" explains precisely how to preserve ideas from their conception until their dissemination, protecting them from the ambient coldness and caution.
More concretely, a good idea is the combination of the following three ingredients:
- An idea that is part of a growing trend, which resonates with an era and is part of a movement. It's a question of timing; the right idea must always arrive at the right time.
- An idea that relies on the right supportZola understood this well in his time with his famous "J'accuse," surfing on the beginnings of the free press. Just like today's charity marathons (Z Event) in the era of streaming.
- An idea must be right in emotion, execution and embodiment.
I would finally add that powerful ideas are those that last over time. No idea is great if it doesn't work for 30 years. ", the pope of modern advertising, David Ogilvy, reminded us so well.
Above all, it is a preserved idea: preserved from outside opinions and comments; preserved from acute meetingitis; preserved also from the "death row" where ideas are often massacred.
In the age of infobesity, how can we make ourselves heard, how can we stand out?
We are currently living the golden age of mass content production. Indeed, we are 15 years after the advent of platforms such as YouTube or Facebook; everyone is capable of producing, distributing, and monetizing. Competition is global and total.
But then, how do we emerge into this golden age? To make yourself heard, whatever the universe in which you evolve, you must have something to say. It is by speaking with strong, authentic and sincere convictions, while going where he is not expected, that a creator can be heard.
Did you know, for example, that scientific comics are enjoying spectacular success? The best-selling book of 2022 is the comic "The Endless World" by energy and climate engineer Jean-Marc Jancovici. This example illustrates a good idea, one that we didn't expect, but which nevertheless successfully bounces off a popular trend in society and on the right medium.
As an advertiser, do you have a good idea to present to us?
Yes, my latest idea. To accompany the launch of my book "A Little Treatise on Ideas, for the Use of Those Who Want to Make Themselves Heard," I decided to send the Prime Minister the shortest letter in the world. It only had three words: “Here’s an idea,” accompanied by the book.
The rest of the information was in fact contained in the title of the book that accompanied this letter. To reach a target audience sensitive to political communication, it was not necessary to say more to be heard. This idea was therefore based on the simplest device in the world: 1 letter, 1 book, 1 stamp, 1 click.
And a bad one?
That same idea! Since it didn't print the way I wanted. Was itIs it a bad idea? Or is it simply “not yet” a good idea? Time will tell. In any case, I am convinced that successful ideas always benefit from a certain amount of luck. Of course, this luck can (to a certain extent) be provoked. However, it remains luck.
Conversely, I always remain very indulgent towards ideas that don't make an impression, or at least not immediately. They constitute the act in a long-term strategy.
Is it necessary to bend the rules to find the best ideas?
YES ! My opinion on this issue is quite clear. We must "practice subversion or nothing," which is precisely the idea I defend in my book.
In my opinion, a good idea necessarily arises from a break, it must break with an established order, a convention, a rule, a morality in force... Subversion should not be seen as an end, but rather as a tool, a creative technique, even a discipline.
This brings us back to the notion essential to creativity, that of vision. It is by stirring up what is installed that we always come up with new ideas.
We must "practice subversion or nothing."
The launch of the "Short Treatise on Ideas for Those Who Want to Make Themselves Heard" goes beyond traditional communication codes. Can you tell us more about this initiative?
What can an advertiser do to get the word out about his book? Well, he advertises. Because he still believes in advertising.
As the author of a short treatise on ideas, my goal is to demonstrate the power of ideas, however simple they may be. So, I go straight to bookstores and play with my book: I divert the media known to readers, such as the "favorite cards" of booksellers or the book banners and I place my own messages there which contribute to word of mouth.
Go from idea to idea without losing enthusiasm : this is my ambition for this promotion.
In your opinion, what will be the major developments in creativity in communication? Will AI revolutionize the quest for ideas?
We are now in the airlock of the world after, it's fascinating! We have undoubtedly left one world, but we have not yet fully embraced the next. Everything therefore remains to be invented, imagined and undertaken, in all areas: it is up to us to write this new story, that of our relationship with the machine.
But then, who will be the master of ideas? I am convinced that while some will be (too easily) sucked into the machine, others will manage to dominate it and keep the final cut.
For my part, I adopt an experimental approach to life, very empirical: in my opinion, an idea is born from the senses, from feelings, from intuition, therefore from the human. This is precisely what distinguishes us from the machine, however "intelligent" it may be. This is what we must preserve.
We have undoubtedly left one world, but we have not yet fully embraced the next.
Before we leave, do you have any final advice for We Are COM readers who would like to boost their creativity?
One of the great markers of our time is polarization. At all levels (social, political, ideological) binarity reigns. By identifying with this or that community, an individual will adopt this or that opinion.
Now, to access innovative thinking and bring new ideas to oneself, It is essential to overcome divisions, it is essential to free oneself from personal judgment, it is fundamental to step outside one's own world, and it is important to step over preconceived ideas in order to forge a unique vision of the world. This is the key to creativity. So, dare, step out of your comfort zone, observe, read, wander, meet your opposite number.
3 things to know about François Belley
His source of inspiration? The daily paper press. For over 20 years, François has been leafing through, reading, clipping, archiving, and collecting articles, phrases, interviews, and headlines from daily newspapers every day. His trick? Reading each newspaper three times: on the same day, 100 days later, and 1000 days later. It's fun and informative, and above all, it puts the topics into perspective.
Her favorite ad? More than just an advertisement, François was surprised by the artistic and activist experience proposed by the daily newspaper “The Guardian” (The Whole Picture), which invited passers-by to remove the censorship from a huge advertising billboard in the heart of New York.
The OuiGO brand's use of the football scarf also caught François' attention. A bold move, he clearly played to his fans' liking during a Brest-Paris match.
Her passion ? Unsurprisingly, it's writing! Whether expressed in music, advertising, or publishing, it's François' greatest passion. To share the joy of writing with less professional audiences, he also leads creative workshops and writing classes.
Visual: Freepik
