????最偉大的創(chuàng)作往往游走于現(xiàn)實(shí)可能的邊緣。我總說(shuō)，如果用一個(gè)參考框架來(lái)評(píng)判工作，那你一定沒(méi)有冒險(xiǎn)深入無(wú)人之境。我們聚集在維也納討論的就是這種境界，但我卻非常擔(dān)心客戶(hù)沒(méi)有準(zhǔn)備好和我們一起冒險(xiǎn)。

????我的擔(dān)心不是多余的。保羅把我拉到一邊，提議說(shuō)：“我們還是剪了吧?！蔽覠o(wú)法禮貌地回應(yīng)他，克里斯更是怒不可遏。我們?nèi)ゾ瓢少I(mǎi)醉，盡管我們都很同情丹尼爾的處境，但我們還是逼著他打電話(huà)給客戶(hù)，做最后一次努力。我們都等在那里，原定半小時(shí)的談話(huà)拖到了一個(gè)小時(shí)。我早知道結(jié)果，但我們必須去嘗試。我把團(tuán)隊(duì)引入了這個(gè)危險(xiǎn)的創(chuàng)意領(lǐng)地，現(xiàn)在又摻雜進(jìn)了政治，我必須為他們出頭。我不只是在捍衛(wèi)這部作品，我還在捍衛(wèi)團(tuán)隊(duì)甘冒風(fēng)險(xiǎn)的精神。

????克里斯和保羅也絕不低頭。他們和我一樣深知，要對(duì)得起三年的艱辛努力，而不僅僅是又一部平凡的好作品，差的就是那幾幅轉(zhuǎn)瞬即逝的影像。那一幕會(huì)讓影片得到大獎(jiǎng)，那一幕會(huì)給客戶(hù)帶來(lái)更多收益。根據(jù)Thinkbox和英國(guó)廣告從業(yè)者協(xié)會(huì)（Institute of Practitioners in Advertising）的一項(xiàng)調(diào)查，得到創(chuàng)意獎(jiǎng)項(xiàng)的作品帶來(lái)的銷(xiāo)量超出比未得獎(jiǎng)作品11倍。

????創(chuàng)意管理通常是一個(gè)充滿(mǎn)巨大危機(jī)的無(wú)序過(guò)程。我們無(wú)法預(yù)知答案。通過(guò)千錘百煉的內(nèi)心直覺(jué)和理性分析相結(jié)合，我們才能去試驗(yàn)，去發(fā)現(xiàn)最終的答案。當(dāng)遭遇重大挫折之時(shí)，每一個(gè)創(chuàng)意領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者都必須勇敢捍衛(wèi)作品，捍衛(wèi)催生靈感的沖動(dòng)。

????丹尼爾走出電梯，一臉無(wú)奈?？死锼勾蟛阶唛_(kāi)，他心煩意亂，所有的冒險(xiǎn)都付之東流。我們無(wú)法讓客戶(hù)接受那一幕，他的作品變得平庸。不久他就恢復(fù)常態(tài)，推出備用場(chǎng)景，再一次將影片推向邊緣，再一次面對(duì)無(wú)情的考驗(yàn)。他還是不管不顧，堅(jiān)持不懈，下定決心去追求完美。顯然，客戶(hù)的拒絕并沒(méi)有讓他學(xué)乖。我想了想，也許那就是創(chuàng)意人應(yīng)有的態(tài)度。

????譚啟明是奧美全球創(chuàng)意總監(jiān)及其全球創(chuàng)意委員會(huì)主席，并在今年6月舉行的戛納國(guó)際創(chuàng)意節(jié)上擔(dān)任平面與影視類(lèi)評(píng)審主席。

????The greatest creative work exists on the edge of what was thought to be possible. If you have a frame of reference to judge your work, I tell people, then you have not ventured far enough into the unknown. We were all here in Vienna talking about that right now, and I was terribly worried that the client wasn't ready to march with us.

????My worries were not misplaced. Paul pulled me aside and said, "We've got to cut that scene." My reaction was less than polite, but it was downright chaste compared to Chris's. We headed for the bar, cornering Daniel to insist on one final appeal to the client by phone, not one of us envying him his job. We waited there as a half-hour dragged into an hour. I already knew the answer was no, but we had to try. I had to stand up for the integrity of the team I had led into this perilous creative, and now political, territory. I had to defend not just the work but also my team's willingness to take a risk.

????Chris and Paul were just as adamant. They knew, as I did, that those fleeting images were the difference between good work and work that was worth three years of effort. That scene was what made it worthy of an award, and that would make the film more effective for the client. Creatively awarded work sells 11 times more than non-awarded creative work, according to a 2010 study by Thinkbox and the UK-based Institute of Practitioners in Advertising.

????Creative management is often a chaotic process filled with tremendous risk. We don't know the answers in advance. A combination of honed gut instinct and analysis allows us to experiment to find what will work. When someone runs into a sharp elbow, every creative leader knows he or she must stand up for the work and praise the impulse that gave birth to it.

????Daniel came out of the lift with a face full of no. Chris stalked off, upset because he had risked so much and had been burned. We couldn't sell the scene we wanted, and it was his work that was poorer because of it. He came around soon after, with a back-up scene to slot in, pushing to take it to the edge, ready to get torched all over again. Insistent, he was back in my face, determined to find a way to make it great, consequences be damned. Clearly, he had learned nothing from the client's reaction. After a moment, I realized that was the perfect lesson to absorb.

????Tham Khai Meng is worldwide chief creative officer of Ogilvy & Mather and chairman of its Worldwide Creative Council. He recently served as jury president for the film and print categories at the Cannes Lion International Festival of Creativity this past June.