Timothy Leonard, Head of Strategy at Brandon, shares why he believes agencies should take clients on the journey with them, rather than waiting for the "big reveal" in a presentation.
I hate surprises. I hate the “ta-da!” moment. And guess what? Most senior stakeholders do too. When it comes to work, most people – especially senior people – don’t want drama. They want clarity. They want to know where they are, where we’re heading, and why the direction makes sense. They want to feel confident, not blindsided.
Yet, in the creative industry, we often cling to the big reveal. We build decks, click through slides, and save the punchline for the end. It’s theatrical, but it’s not collaborative. And collaboration is where I believe the magic really happens.
The Problem with the Big Reveal
The traditional presentation model creates tension. It positions the agency as the “keeper of the idea” and the client as the audience. That dynamic gives the agency a sense of ownership and power while robbing the client of it. Worse still, it slows momentum because the client needs time to process, reflect, and often take ideas away before committing. Instead of alignment, we get delay.
The Myth of the Solo Genius
Our industry loves the myth of the lone genius—the Don Draper figure who strolls into a meeting and pulls brilliance out of thin air like a rabbit out of a hat. It makes for great TV, but it’s not reality.
For me, creativity isn’t magic. It’s collision—the meeting of different perspectives, experiences, and disciplines. It’s strategy talking to design, design talking to copy, and everyone talking to the client. Given the right environment, anyone can articulate an idea that changes everything*.
*For more on this point, why not check out Emma Pickering’s superb article on being creative?
The Power of Real Co-Creation
You might be thinking “send a pre-read, Tim! That’ll get round the surprise”, but if you think about it, it’s still the surprise, just without the voice over. What if we replaced the “ta-da!” with a conversation, an exchange, an ebb and flow?
Challenge. Inspire. Think together. Evolve. Go Away. Reflect. Come back. Repeat.
This rhythm builds shared ownership. It sparks richer ideas because different perspectives collide. It removes surprises and replaces them with a collective sense of progress and building momentum together. When the final presentation comes, it’s not a big reveal. It’s a confirmation: Yes, this is what we built together. This is clear. This is exciting. Let’s move forward!
Clients as Creative Partners
I think that clients are the unsung heroes of the creative industry. They’re smart, passionate, and deeply knowledgeable about their category and brand. But they’re often working in fast-paced environments, battling siloed structures, and struggling to find space to think. In their business, creativity might not even be valued highly. That’s a lot to deal with.
That’s where we agencies come in. Not just as experts in creativity, but as experts in unlocking creativity. Our job isn’t only to bring great ideas to the table (we absolutely aren’t off the hook here); it’s to create the conditions for everyone’s creativity to show up.
From Presentation to Conversation
One of the biggest barriers to collaboration is the way we communicate. Presentations create distance, but conversations create connection. Instead of saving ideas for the big reveal, let’s build alignment through ongoing dialogue. That final deck should be a reflection of shared thinking, not a surprise.
Develop trust not just ideas
Creativity isn’t about the lone genius pulling brilliance out of thin air. It’s about creating the conditions for everyone’s creativity to show up and building something extraordinary together. Who knows, you may even learn something new about each other.