How small mistakes kill BIG creative ideas

Hey creatives…

The riskiest move you can make in any scenario:

Doing what everyone else is doing.

Clutch is a startup rethinking car sales.

Their ad tries to reflect that - leaning into simplicity, no-hassle service, and a clean, clear visual metaphor.

But instead of SHOWING you how seamless it feels to sell your car…

It tells you.

Quietly and passively.

Almost like it’s afraid to take up space.

And that’s the missing opportunity we need to understand.

Let’s unpack how this creative could unlock its full emotional power with just a few bold moves….

Quickly before we get started though…

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The concept is solid. The scale is small.

The ad features a line of checkpoints:

• Seamless pick-up

• No cleanup required

• Maintenance handled

• You get paid when it sells

Then: a tiny car traveling left to right.

The idea?

You sit back, Clutch handles everything.

But here’s the problem:

The car (the symbol of this entire experience) is too small to care about.

It’s barely a moment.

Make the car 30% bigger. Animate it across the screen.

Why?

Because now it becomes:

• A journey

• A transformation

• A symbol of momentum

The visual tells the story of freedom.

A life unburdened. A car moving from your driveway into someone else’s life, without you lifting a finger.

Reframe the CTA around emotional relief.

The current CTA says: “Schedule your Clutch car selling experience.”

That’s corporate-speak.

Instead, lead with how it FEELS:

• “Car selling made easy.”

• “Say goodbye to car stress.”

• “List it, live your life, get paid.”

CTAs are small real estate with big potential. Let every word carry emotional weight.

This ad is BEGGING to be a GIF.

Static ads can tell stories. But motion shows momentum.

Imagine:

• A clean car driving across screen

• Checkpoints lighting up as it passes

• A subtle smiley emoji appears on the seller at the end

Boom.

You just animated ease and showed them what life looks like post-problem.

The brand needs to step back, not forward.

Don’t lead with “Clutch.”

Lead with what Clutch makes possible.

Customers are shopping for the outcome….

So let the outcome speak and let your name follow.

What this teaches us about Creative Discipline

Creative discipline is about emotional fluency.

It’s not enough to be clear.

You must also be felt.

And that happens not by saying “seamless,” but by showing it - visually, emotionally, decisively.

Clutch has the right idea.

But the restraint it shows is a HUGE missed opportunity.

In moments like this, the boldest move is making something feel as effortless as it actually is.

Because if the viewer can feel the freedom, they’ll chase it.

Until next time,

Chase

PS

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