# Creative brief template

Replace the bracketed text and delete anything that doesn't apply. Keep the finished brief to one or two pages, and ask the client to sign it off before concepts begin.

---

## 1. Project overview

- Client: [Client name]
- Project: [Project name]
- Brief owner: [Name, role]
- Date: [Date]
- Version: [v1]

## 2. Background

[Two or three sentences on what has prompted this project. What's changed in the business, the market or the audience?]

## 3. Objective

[The one measurable result this work should achieve. E.g. "Get 300 new members to book a first class in March."]

## 4. Audience

- Who they are: [Describe a person, not just a demographic]
- What they think or do now: [Current belief or behaviour]
- What we want them to think or do: [The change]

## 5. Single-minded message

[One sentence the audience should take away.]

## 6. Supporting points

- [Fact, proof or offer that makes the message believable]
- [Supporting point]

## 7. Tone and brand

- Tone: [Three words, e.g. warm, plain, encouraging]
- Brand guidelines: [Link]
- Examples we like / don't like: [Links and why]

## 8. Deliverables

| # | Deliverable | Format and sizes | Channel | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | [Deliverable] | [Format] | [Channel] | [Date] |
| 2 | [Deliverable] | [Format] | [Channel] | [Date] |

## 9. Mandatories and constraints

- [Logos, legal lines, terms and conditions]
- [Words or images to avoid]
- [Technical limits, e.g. file size, character counts]

## 10. Timeline

| Stage | Date | Client review window |
|---|---|---|
| Brief signed off | [Date] | — |
| Concepts presented | [Date] | [Number] working days |
| Final artwork | [Date] | [Number] working days |
| Launch | [Date] | — |

## 11. Approvals

- Approver for concepts: [Name, role]
- Approver for final artwork: [Name, role]
- Feedback: one consolidated set per round, by the end of the review window
- Revision rounds included: [Number]

## 12. Measurement

[How we'll know it worked: the metric, where it's measured and when we'll review it.]

---

## Before you share the brief

- [ ] There is one objective, and it's measurable.
- [ ] The audience section says what should change, not just who they are.
- [ ] The message fits in one sentence.
- [ ] Every deliverable has a format, channel and due date.
- [ ] Mandatories and constraints are listed now, not at artwork stage.
- [ ] An approver is named for each stage, with a review window.
- [ ] The client has signed off the brief in writing.

---

# Client brief form

Send these questions to the client before the briefing call.

1. What's prompted this project now?
2. What's the one result you most need from it?
3. Who do you want to reach, and what do they think of you today?
4. What should they think or do after seeing the work?
5. Is there anything that must be included, or must be avoided?
6. Do you have brand guidelines or examples you like?
7. What's the deadline, and is anything fixed around it (a launch, an event)?
8. Who will approve the work?

---

# Worked example: gym membership campaign

Riverside Fitness is a fictional client used for illustration.

**Objective:** get 300 new members to book a first class during March.

**Audience:** adults within three miles of the gym who have tried a gym before and stopped going. They think gyms are for people who are already fit. We want them to feel a first class is a low-pressure place to start.

**Single-minded message:** you don't need to be fit to start here.

**Supporting points:** beginner-only classes on weekday evenings; the first class is free; coaches adjust every exercise.

**Tone:** warm, plain, encouraging. No before-and-after photos.

| # | Deliverable | Format | Due |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Campaign concept | Two routes, presented as mood boards with headlines | 6 Feb |
| 2 | Social ads | Six static ads, 1:1 and 9:16 | 20 Feb |
| 3 | Poster | A2 print-ready PDF for the gym entrance | 20 Feb |

**Approvals:** the marketing manager approves the chosen concept and the final artwork, each within two working days. Feedback is sent as one consolidated set per round.

**Measurement:** first-class bookings from campaign links and the in-gym code, reviewed weekly through March.

Template by Angelwood — https://angelwood.io/