BIO | Brett Craig

Woke inauthenticity is killing brands.

Once upon a time, a brand could call up an ad agency and partner with them to create brilliant ideas on behalf of their company. Today, if your company is not woke, you will find the once-great ad agencies won’t return your call. Or, if they do, they will attempt to impose their woke Shibboleths onto your brand.

The problem with that is, woke ideology is inauthentic. The Bud Light fiasco is a case study in why it doesn’t work, but it’s just one of hundreds of examples. And why, exactly, doesn’t it work? Because behaving authentically as a brand is the key to resonating with the consumer and nothing kills that resonance faster than performative, fake behaviors that don’t align with the essence of your brand.

That’s why I created Based Creative, a shop focused on ideas, to help brands in the freedom economy tell their unique stories – with humor, wild creativity and real moxie – but always with authenticity. In the end, getting to truth of what – and who – your brand really stands for is how you create a deeper connection with consumers, which is the key to fueling explosive growth.

Experience

Now, I will attempt to talk about myself in the 3rd person (which is awkward for both of us).

Brett has nearly 25+ years of experience at top national agencies such as TBWA/Chiat/Day, LA and Deutsch/LA, his work has been recognized by every major international award show. He was named to the Adweek Top 50 movers and shakers list. Brett has extensive experience leading large national and international brands, overseeing the advertising and communications for Taco Bell, Dr Pepper, Sony PlayStation, Call of Duty and Pepsi. He was Chief Creative Officer at Deutsch/LA until 2020. Last year, Brett helped The Daily Wire stand up an in-house creative team in just 6 months, while helping them successfully launch Jeremy’s Razors, What is a Woman?, the DailyWire+ rebrand, as well as announce the addition of Dr. Jordan Peterson. He is the host of a show, “The Big Picture With Brett Craig”. His book entitled, “Collaborate or Die: How Being a Jerk Kills Ideas and Careers”, explores the critical relationship between collaboration and creativity.

Brett just launched the next chapter of his advertising career: Based Creative, a shop built for what many are calling the freedom, or patriot, economy. Brett believes every brand has an authentic voice and story to tell. Yet too many companies are embracing political agendas over big, brand-elevating ideas. It’s time for a shift.

IN THE MEDIA