I can’t think of a more special breed of people than creatives.
Every time a creative pitches a bold campaign, challenges the status quo, or takes a big risk, they’re standing exposed in front of thousands of consumers, peers, shareholders, and competitors.
And yet, they keep doing it.
Thank goodness.
Because if there’s one thing we all know, it’s this: playing it safe is the fastest route to irrelevance.
In The Cult Branding Workbook, I call this the Golden Rule of Courage: cult brands are built by leaders and creatives who dare to be different, even when the world is skeptical. Liquid Death turned canned water into a counterculture icon. Glossier reimagined beauty by handing the microphone to its community. Supreme built a global following by embracing scarcity and audacity. None of them played it safe.
That knot in your stomach before you launch something new?
That nagging voice asking, “Have we gone too far?”
Those aren’t warnings. They’re your creative compass pointing true north.
Sure, you could settle for cookie-cutter campaigns and beige messaging. But where’s the magic in that? The most meaningful breakthroughs in branding come from someone raising their hand and saying, “What if?” even when their voice shakes, even when the data isn’t crystal clear, even when failure is a real possibility.
The truth is simple: living small is not only boring, it’s a disservice to the brands we serve and the customers who trust us.
So let’s stop punishing creative risk. Let’s celebrate it. Because behind every brand that earns cult-like loyalty is a creative who dared to push further than the rest.
The question is: what risks will you take this week?