When you give an editor a weak brief, you get a low quality ad. You get a waste of resources. The editor had to guess the look, the footage and the music, and every guess changed the result. Now you paid for an edit that cannot tell you if your idea works. A good brief takes the guessing away. The fix starts with two versions of the brief, a first draft and an editor brief, and each one has a prompt and a template below.
Short answer: A creative brief starts as a first draft, which we call the creative strategist brief. It holds the concept and all the backend information the strategist used to build it. Then you strip out the strategy, and what is left is the editor brief, which holds seven parts, and the last part is the script table.
Editor brief part
What to include
What it prevents
Concept
A plain name for the concept, which is the whole idea in one overall summary
Two people building two different ads
Type and speaker
The format and who is talking
Guessing the voice or the format
Reference video
A link and what to copy from it
Copying the wrong part
Audio
The track or style, plus sound effects
Random music
Assets
Background image, and the character if a person is on screen
Mismatched footage
Notes
A few short bullets
Long paragraphs nobody reads
Script table
Voiceover, on screen and editor note for every scene
Rebuilding the ad from memory
A Creative Brief Starts As A First Draft That Holds All The Backend Information
The first draft is where the thinking lives, and the editor never needs to see it.
A concept is the overall idea of one ad, with the scenario, the structure and the feel all in one. The first draft explains why that concept exists and what we expect it to teach us.
It opens with a small chart that anyone can read in five seconds. The chart names who we are testing, where they sit in the funnel, how much they know, which angle we hold, the one thing we are testing and why. Then every concept gets the same blocks, in the same order.
First draft block
What to include
What it prevents
Desire, Persona, Angle
Three plain lines: what the viewer wants, who the viewer is, and the reason to care
An ad that speaks to nobody
Components
The parts we are testing in this ad, from our test list
Changes nobody wrote down
Type of ad
UGC, animation, voiceover with b roll, a static or another format
Building the wrong format
Reference
The video, playable, with its source link, its measured length, its spoken words and a note on what is on screen
Copying a guess of the ad
Strategy fields
Awareness, sophistication, mechanism, objection, story, feelings, stakes, internal narrative and hypothesis
A script with no reason behind it
Oracle
The outside expert the speaker heard it from, and why that expert would know
A claim that comes from nowhere
Hooks
A spoken hook, a text on screen hook and a visual hook
A weak first three seconds
Script
The scene by scene script table
Writing the script twice
Tracking code
The code that ties the ad to its results
Results nobody can match to an ad
The strategy fields need plain words. Awareness is how much the viewer knows about the problem and about us. Sophistication is how many similar claims they have already heard, from stage 1 to stage 5. The mechanism is how the product works. The objection is the doubt this ad answers. Internal narrative is how the viewer sees themselves when they say yes. The hypothesis is what we are testing and what we expect to happen.
Every field needs a source, like the research, past results or the client's own rules. If you cannot name the source, you are guessing.
Write The First Draft In Two Steps, Strategy First And Script Second
Fill in every strategy field for every ad, then stop and check it before you write a single line of script.
If you write the script first, the script does not follow the strategy. You end up with the same story and a new persona pasted on top. Two personas with different feelings and different stories need different scripts, even when the format is the same.
After the check, write one ad at a time. Copy the shape of a proven winner, like its beat order, its pace and its hook style, and swap in your own product, your own proof and your own audience words. Never copy its claims or its brand phrases.
Last, check every hook for clarity. A first time viewer must understand what is being said and what is promised, with no second read. If a line makes you ask what that means, rewrite it plainer.
The Editor Brief Is The First Draft With The Strategy Stripped Out
An editor opens this page and cuts from it, so it holds only what the editor needs.
The two versions share the same top section and the same script table. So you do not rebuild anything. You copy the script across, delete the strategy above it and fill in the top section.
The first part is the concept, written as a plain name for the whole idea. A code can sit next to it, which links the editor brief back to the first draft. The second is the type of video and who is speaking. Use one line, such as an AI talking head with a female voice, a narrator over animation or a slideshow of still images.
The third is the reference video. Link the ad you want copied, then say exactly what to copy from it. Name the parts you like, such as the pacing, the camera angle, the framing, the energy or the style of the text on screen.
The fourth is the audio, which means the music track or style with a link where you can, plus any sound effects.
The fifth is the assets. That means a background image if the ad needs one, and a character if a person is on screen. Describe the face and hair, the outfit, the things they wear, the voice, the setting and the hand movements. Make the setting fit the viewer, so a busy parent sees a room where a busy parent really lives.
The sixth is the notes, which are short bullets and never paragraphs. The seventh is the script table.
The script table has three columns: the voiceover with the speaker named in the header, what is on screen, and a note for the editor. Each scene gets a bold header row with the scene name and the time, and the content row sits right under it with all three columns on the same line. Match every picture to the line being said. Put the text on screen for the opening in the editor note of the opening row, and make sure it adds to the voiceover and never repeats it.
Before you send the page, read it as the editor. If a line is not one of the seven parts, delete it. That means no desire, no persona, no awareness, no angle and no thinking out loud.
Every Part Of The Editor Brief Gets A Tag, Either Match The Reference Or Ours
The editor should never decide what to copy, because the first draft already decided it.
Tag
What it means
Example
Match the reference
Copy it as closely as the footage allows
The pacing, the cut rhythm, the shot type, the framing, the style of the text on screen
Ours
Ignore the reference, this part is new
The claim, the brand wording, the on screen copy
A part with no tag is where the editor guesses, and a guess ruins the test. Copy the look and feel of the reference, but write your own words. The claims, the brand phrases, the names for how the product works and the on screen copy always go in the Ours group.
Editors Who Cannot Judge Clips Yet Need A Storyboard First
A script table cannot save an editor who picks weak clips.
Some editors are not there yet. They may not know how to pick a strong clip, how to tell a clean AI video from a messy one, or how to find footage that fits the line. If your editors cannot yet choose high quality clips or AI videos, a script table is not enough. You need to storyboard first.
A storyboard is a set of pictures, one for each scene, made before editing starts. Add one image or screenshot to each scene in the on screen column, and write one line under it about the framing. The editor then starts from your picture and has no blank search bar to stare at.
Two Prompts And Two Templates Build Both Versions For You
Paste the first prompt to build the first draft, then paste the second to turn it into the editor brief.
Prompt 1, the first draft:
You are a creative strategist. Write the first draft brief for one ad concept.
Start with three plain lines: Desire (what the viewer wants), Persona (who the viewer is), Angle (the reason to care).
Then fill in: Components, Type of ad, Reference (spoken words, length and what is on screen), Awareness, Sophistication from 1 to 5, Mechanism, Objection, Story type, Feelings from start to end, Stakes, Internal narrative, Oracle, Hypothesis and Tracking code.
Name the source for every field. If you cannot name one, ask me instead of guessing.
Write a spoken hook, a text on screen hook and a visual hook. Each one must be clear on the first read.
Then write the script as a table with three columns: Voiceover, On screen, Editor note. Give each scene a bold header row with the scene name and time. Keep every line at a fifth grade reading level.
My concept: [describe the idea, the product and the viewer]
Prompt 2, the editor brief:
Turn the first draft brief below into an editor brief.
Keep only these seven parts: Concept (a plain name for the whole idea), Type of video and who is speaking, Reference video (and what to copy from it), Audio, Assets (background image and character), Notes (short bullets), and the script table.
Delete the desire, persona, angle, awareness, sophistication, mechanism, objection, hypothesis and every other strategy line.
Tag every part as Match the reference or Ours. Claims, brand phrases, named mechanisms (how the product works) and on screen copy are always Ours.
Then read it as the editor and delete any line the editor cannot act on.
First draft brief: [paste it here]
Here is the first draft template.
CHART
Who: [the one persona]
Funnel: [top, middle or bottom]
Awareness: [how much they know]
Sophistication: [stage 1 to 5]
Angle: [the reason to care]
Testing: [the one thing we change]
Why: [one plain sentence]
CONCEPT: [plain name for the whole idea]
Desire: [what the viewer wants]
Persona: [who the viewer is]
Angle: [the reason to care]
Components: [parts we are testing]
Type of ad: [format]
Reference: [video, source link, length, spoken words, what is on screen]
Strategy: [mechanism, objection, story type, feelings, stakes, internal narrative]
Oracle: [the expert and why they would know]
Hypothesis: [what we test and what we expect]
Hooks: [spoken, text on screen, visual]
Tracking code: [code]
Script: [table below]
Here is the editor brief template.
Concept: [plain name for the whole idea]
Type of video and who is speaking: [one line]
Reference video: [link, and one line on what to copy]
Audio: [track or style, sound effects]
Assets: [background image, and the character if a person is on screen]
Notes: [short bullets only]
Tags: [every part marked Match the reference or Ours]
Storyboard: [one image per scene, if your editor needs it]
Script table columns: Voiceover (speaker name), On screen, Editor note. One bold header row per scene with the scene name and time, then one content row.
FAQ
What goes in a creative brief?
It starts as a first draft that holds the concept and all the backend information behind it. The editor version holds the concept, the type of video and speaker, a reference video, the audio, the assets, short notes and a script table.
What is the difference between a creative strategist brief and an editor brief?
The strategist brief is the first draft, and it holds the thinking behind the ad. The editor brief is the first draft with the strategy removed, plus the audio, assets and character.
What is a concept in a creative brief?
A concept is the overall idea of one ad in a single summary, with the scenario, the structure and the feel all in one.
Do I need a reference video in every brief?
Yes, it is one of the seven parts. Always say what to copy from it and what to leave alone.
When do I need a storyboard?
You need one when your editors cannot yet pick high quality clips or AI videos on their own.
Should the editor brief include the strategy?
No, the strategy stays in the first draft and the editor gets only the build.
How do I stop editors from copying things I do not want copied?
Tag every part as Match the reference or Ours. Keep claims, brand phrases and on screen copy in the Ours group.
A Clear Brief Gets The First Edit Back Right
Think back to the weak brief. The editor guessed, the ad came back low quality, and the money was wasted. A clear brief removes each of those guesses. The editor gets the concept, the reference, the tags and the script, and the strategy stays in the first draft. Now the edit looks like what you pictured, and the test shows whether your idea works.
If you need help with this, we offer creative strategy help, both strategy only and full service.
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