# Creative Brief

> A structured creative brief template for defining the mandate, audience, message hierarchy, channels, asset requirements, and approval guardrails for campaign or brand work.

Canonical URL: https://brieflodge.com/templates/creative-brief

Category: Creative & Design

Tags: Creative Strategy, Campaign Planning, Brand Guidelines, Asset Production

## Template Structure

<brief-header title="Creative Brief" hasLogo={true} logoEmoji="🐇" hasCover={true} coverImageUrl="/images/gallery/art/Sunrise,%20Yosemite%20Valley.webp" coverImageAlt="Gallery artwork: Sunrise, Yosemite Valley" />
<page-divider pageNumber={1} pageName="Creative Mandate" />

# Creative Mandate

Define the assignment sharply enough that the creative team can make choices without turning the brief into open-ended discovery.

<short-answer elementId="creative_assignment_name" required={true}>
What is the working name of this creative assignment?
</short-answer>

<multiple-choice elementId="creative_work_type" required={true} options='[{"id":"new_campaign","label":"New campaign"},{"id":"campaign_refresh","label":"Campaign refresh"},{"id":"launch_creative","label":"Launch creative"},{"id":"always_on_content","label":"Always-on content"},{"id":"sales_enablement","label":"Sales enablement"},{"id":"internal_comms","label":"Internal communications"}]'>
Which type of creative work is this?
</multiple-choice>

<long-answer elementId="creative_context_shift" required={true}>
What has changed in the market, business, product, or customer situation that makes this creative work necessary now?
</long-answer>

<short-answer elementId="single_minded_proposition" required={true}>
What is the single-minded proposition the creative should communicate?
</short-answer>

<ranking elementId="creative_success_priority" required={true} options='[{"id":"awareness","label":"Increase awareness"},{"id":"consideration","label":"Improve consideration"},{"id":"conversion","label":"Drive conversion"},{"id":"retention","label":"Support retention"},{"id":"education","label":"Explain a complex offer"},{"id":"trust","label":"Build trust or credibility"}]'>
Rank the creative outcomes in priority order.
</ranking>

<page-button isSubmit={false} />
<page-divider pageNumber={2} pageName="Audience & Message" />

# Audience & Message

Anchor the work in a specific recipient, a clear tension, and a message hierarchy that prevents every claim from competing for attention.

<short-answer elementId="primary_audience_segment" required={true}>
Who is the primary audience segment this creative must persuade?
</short-answer>

<long-answer elementId="audience_barrier_insight" required={true}>
What belief, barrier, desire, or misconception must the creative address for that audience?
</long-answer>

<ranking elementId="message_hierarchy" required={true} options='[{"id":"main_benefit","label":"Main benefit"},{"id":"emotional_reward","label":"Emotional reward"},{"id":"functional_reason","label":"Functional reason to believe"},{"id":"urgency","label":"Urgency or timing cue"},{"id":"proof","label":"Evidence or proof point"},{"id":"action","label":"Call to action"}]'>
Rank the message ingredients by importance.
</ranking>

<table-form elementId="claims_and_proof" required={true} rows='[{"id":"primary_claim","label":"Primary claim"},{"id":"supporting_claim","label":"Supporting claim"},{"id":"risk_sensitive_claim","label":"Risk-sensitive claim"}]' columns='[{"id":"claim_text","label":"Claim"},{"id":"proof_source","label":"Required proof"},{"id":"approval_note","label":"Approval concern"}]'>
Map the claims the creative may use and the proof each one needs.
</table-form>

<multiple-choice elementId="desired_response" required={true} options='[{"id":"learn_more","label":"Learn more"},{"id":"request_demo","label":"Request a demo or consultation"},{"id":"buy_now","label":"Buy now"},{"id":"sign_up","label":"Sign up"},{"id":"share","label":"Share or recommend"},{"id":"attend","label":"Attend or register"},{"id":"change_behavior","label":"Change an internal behavior"}]'>
What is the primary response the creative should prompt?
</multiple-choice>

<page-button isSubmit={false} />
<page-divider pageNumber={3} pageName="Channels & Assets" />

# Channels & Assets

Specify where the idea must live, what assets are required, and which production constraints will shape the creative solution.

<checkboxes elementId="creative_channels" required={true} options='[{"id":"paid_social","label":"Paid social"},{"id":"organic_social","label":"Organic social"},{"id":"display","label":"Display ads"},{"id":"email","label":"Email"},{"id":"landing_page","label":"Landing page"},{"id":"video","label":"Video"},{"id":"print","label":"Print"},{"id":"out_of_home","label":"Out-of-home"},{"id":"sales_deck","label":"Sales deck"},{"id":"event_materials","label":"Event materials"}]'>
Which channels must this creative support?
</checkboxes>

<table-form elementId="asset_requirements" required={true} rows='[{"id":"hero_asset","label":"Hero asset"},{"id":"supporting_assets","label":"Supporting assets"},{"id":"adaptations","label":"Adaptations"},{"id":"handoff_files","label":"Handoff files"}]' columns='[{"id":"format","label":"Format or placement"},{"id":"dimensions","label":"Specs"},{"id":"copy_need","label":"Copy need"},{"id":"owner","label":"Owner"},{"id":"due_date","label":"Due date","type":"date"}]'>
List the required creative assets, specs, owners, and due dates.
</table-form>

<link-form elementId="brand_guidelines_link" required={false}>
Add the link to brand guidelines, campaign standards, or creative reference material.
</link-form>

<number-field elementId="production_budget" required={false} minValue={0}>
What production budget is available, if already known?
</number-field>

<date-form elementId="creative_launch_date" required={true}>
What is the intended launch, publish, or in-market date?
</date-form>

<page-button isSubmit={false} />
<page-divider pageNumber={4} pageName="Creative Guardrails" />

# Creative Guardrails

Make the approval path, mandatories, and creative judgment criteria explicit before concepts are developed.

<long-answer elementId="tone_and_style_direction" required={true}>
Describe the desired creative tone, style, and energy. Include what it should not feel like.
</long-answer>

<checkboxes elementId="mandatory_inclusions" required={false} options='[{"id":"logo","label":"Logo"},{"id":"tagline","label":"Tagline"},{"id":"product_visual","label":"Product visual"},{"id":"pricing","label":"Pricing or offer"},{"id":"legal_disclaimer","label":"Legal disclaimer"},{"id":"accessibility_requirements","label":"Accessibility requirements"},{"id":"partner_marks","label":"Partner marks"},{"id":"tracking_links","label":"Tracking links"}]'>
Which mandatory elements must appear in the creative?
</checkboxes>

<table-form elementId="review_and_approval_path" required={true} rows='[{"id":"creative_review","label":"Creative review"},{"id":"brand_review","label":"Brand review"},{"id":"legal_review","label":"Legal or compliance review"},{"id":"final_approval","label":"Final approval"}]' columns='[{"id":"reviewer","label":"Reviewer"},{"id":"decision_needed","label":"Decision needed"},{"id":"review_date","label":"Review date","type":"date"},{"id":"risk_if_late","label":"Risk if late"}]'>
Map the review path and the decision each reviewer must make.
</table-form>

<long-answer elementId="creative_rejection_criteria" required={true}>
What would make a creative concept unacceptable, off-brand, misleading, or unworkable?
</long-answer>

<multiple-choice elementId="final_concept_decision_rule" required={true} options='[{"id":"single_approver","label":"One final approver decides"},{"id":"core_team_consensus","label":"Core team consensus required"},{"id":"legal_brand_signoff","label":"Brand and legal signoff required"},{"id":"performance_test","label":"Decision depends on testing results"},{"id":"executive_review","label":"Executive review required"}]'>
How will the final creative direction be selected?
</multiple-choice>

<page-button isSubmit={true} />