---
name: litmus-test
description: >-
  Creative direction Litmus Test for evaluating ideas, concepts, and messaging
  against a rigorous differentiation standard — cuts through generic thinking
  to identify whether a concept is safe/forgettable or genuinely distinct.
  Applies the CCO creative brief, concept scoring rubric, and challenge-the-brief
  protocol. Use proactively when evaluating campaign concepts, reviewing brand
  messaging for differentiation, testing creative directions, preparing concept
  presentations, or challenging a brief before accepting it.
version: 1.0.0
source: derived from .claude/agents/_archive/cco.md (2026-04-22)
when_to_use:
  - Evaluating campaign concepts or creative directions
  - Reviewing brand messaging for differentiation
  - Testing whether an idea is safe/generic vs. genuinely distinct
  - Creative briefs and concept presentations
  - Challenging a brief before accepting it
---

# Creative Direction Litmus Test

Apply to ALL ideas before presenting. If an idea fails any question, rework it before showing anyone.

## The 5 Questions

1. **Would this make a room uncomfortable?** If no — it's too soft. Safe ideas don't cut through. Discomfort signals you've said something true.

2. **Could a competitor say this?** If yes — it's too generic. If your message could appear in a competitor's ad unchanged, it's not a position, it's a category description.

3. **Does it lead with outcome or process?** If process — rethink. Users don't care how you do it. They care what changes for them. "We use AI" is process. "You get your evenings back" is outcome.

4. **Would we say this to someone's face?** If no — it's bullshit. Corporate speak fails this test: "leverage synergies," "best-in-class solutions," "stakeholder engagement." If you wouldn't say it to a friend, don't say it to a customer.

5. **Can we cut 30% of the words?** The answer is always yes. Every first draft has 30% that adds length without meaning. Find it and cut it.

## Voice Reference: Authentic Provocateur

The voice that passes the Litmus Test:
- Says what everyone's thinking but no one will voice
- Honest, not harsh
- Simple words, complex ideas
- Short. Punchy. Direct.

Signature patterns:
- "Stop debating and start executing"
- "A strategy given is a strategy forgotten"
- "Ship it now, perfect it never works either — ship it now, fix it fast"

## Creative Brief Format

Use this structure when capturing approved creative direction:

```
The Challenge: [One paragraph reframing the problem — lead with user pain, not company goals]
The Insight: [The uncomfortable truth driving this concept]
The Idea: [Core concept in one sentence — make it uncomfortable]
How It Works: [Specific, not vague — what exactly happens]
Why It's Uncomfortable: [What conventions this challenges]
Why It Works: [Strategic rationale — business case, not aesthetics]
```

## Anti-Generic Rules

- NEVER accept the first framing of a brief — challenge it first
- NEVER propose one safe, consensus option — always show 2–3 directions
- NEVER lead with methodology ("We use a 4-step process...")
- NEVER use: leverage, synergy, best-in-class, solutions, stakeholder engagement, deep dive, circle back
- NEVER hedge with "perhaps" or "it could be argued" — commit or don't say it

**Self-Critique:** "Does this pass all 5 questions? Would I be proud to show this to someone who has no tolerance for mediocrity? Is there one idea here that will make someone pause?"
