“There’s no such thing as a bad idea in a branstorm,” the old saw goes. Okay. But what of the bad ideas that come out of a brainstorm? A recent example:
Parachuting donkey advertisers face jail
Two held after ad campaign triggers Boston bomb scare
Or this record-breaking attempt from 2005:
- Bryan Smith / Zuma Press
Disaster on a stick: Snapple’s attempt at popsicle world record turns into gooey fiasco
Or this timeless video from a well-known radio station in Cincinnati:
The point is: some well-applied, imaginative pessimism could have prevented these situations. If marketing and promotions teams aren’t going to see the world through crisis-management glasses, then they need to invite the “paid pessimists” to the process to avoid such calamities.
For the record, I’ve learned to reserve my wet blanket for the conclusion of the brainstorm, so I don’t interrupt the creative process. To paraphrase Les Nessman – for the sake of humanity, please invite me back!
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