There will always be something you can fix, something you can make better.
Start learning how to edit now.
“Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and remove one accessory.” -
It works for fashion and for advertising, too.
Writers, edit your headlines and body copy. Be precise with pretty much every sentence you write. Write. Rewrite. Erase. Write again. Cut out words. Use different words. Step away. Start all over again.
Art directors, edit your layouts. Add more white space. Remove elements. Rotate elements. Streamline. Take out a typeface. Use a different typeface. Step away. And start all over again.
“Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” — Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Strip the piece down to its barest form and then rebuild from there. Does it need that word? Does it need that graphic?
Make sure everything you put in is adding something to the piece and serves a genuine purpose.
Not just because it sounds good or looks good. But because it makes the overall piece better, stronger, more effective.
This should be your goal with everything you work on.
Look at every campaign. Is there an ad in there that isn't adding to the overall campaign?
Look at every ad, is every element, every adjective, every comma absolutely necessary?
If anything makes you say "Well..." or "Er..." Take it out. Right now.
