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In this latest of his Stash editorial series We Love Pitching, Nerdo ECD Claus Cibils continues his deep dive into the competitive creative process and how making the shortlist does not always feel like a victory.
Isn’t it weird that getting selected makes you anxious, instead of feeling like a winner?
You made the shortlist. The reel did its job. A few teams have been invited. The opportunity is real. The pitch begins. This should feel like progress.
But too often, it starts to feel like The Dating Game meets Jeopardy.
“The pitch is not just a deck. It is definitely not a beauty contest. The pitch is the first part of the creative production process.”
Sorry, that sounds like a nightmare of a date. The pitch is not just a deck. It is definitely not a beauty contest. The pitch is the first part of the creative production process.
Strategy is being interpreted. The idea is being shaped. Production logic is being tested. Budget, timing, references, tone, feasibility, risk, and execution are already being translated into a possible project.
One brief call. Partial and changing information. Restricted access to the creatives. Four days. Five days. Six if we are really lucky. Everyone is expected to drop everything and go for it. Most of the time, for free. And competitors are a mystery.
The best pitches do not come from misinformation and working in isolation.
They come from shared strategy, teamwork, guidance, information, correction, shared pressure, and shared understanding. They come from people building toward the same answer, not guessing what the other side might mean.
The client understands the business pressure. The agency understands the strategy, the room, and the decision path. The studio understands how an idea can become a real thing. Each side holds a different part of the answer.
When those parts meet, the pitch gets better. When they don’t, it becomes a guessing exercise with a tight deadline. This is the point where respect and transparency become essential. Respect means no one is treated like a vending machine for ideas.
“Respect means no one is treated like a vending machine for ideas.”
Transparency means the client and agency are clear about what they know, what they do not know yet, what kind of risk they are open to, and what the work will actually be judged against.
Structure, collaboration, and partnership do not make the pitch less competitive. They make the pitch more robust.
Sharing the budget helps teams build something possible. Sharing the timeline helps ambition stay connected to reality. Sharing the competitive field helps teams understand the room they are entering. Sharing the decision criteria helps the work answer the actual problem.
Transparency is not a favor. It is a creative tool. The goal should always be to have solid possibilities. Teams with enough clarity, time, and dialogue to make the decision difficult for the right reasons.
That is better for the client.
That is better for the agency.
That is better for the work.
That is better for the production that may follow.
That is how we honor the first creative stage of a project that may carry serious money, serious visibility, and serious pressure.
Follow Claus on LinkedIn and Instagram.
WE LOVE PITCHING: Let’s change the way we play the game.
DISCLAIMER: All images are AI-generated. If it feels real, uncomfortable, or a little ridiculous, it’s intentional. Artificially made. Human crafted.
