Innovate Like Virgil Abloh: Applying the 3% Rule to Content

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Virgil Abloh is a famous designer in the 21st century. He unfortunately passed away - RIP - but much of his design philosophy has lived on.

One idea that sticks in my mind is his 3% rule.

Instead of creating something completely new, he would just take something he sees in design and changes it 3%.

So instead of a hat that says Dallas, you could flip the Dallas upside down - a whole new design.

Here is an example from Abloh:

You can see Abloh added only a few touches to the original silhouette of the Jordan 1 in his Off White collaboration.

That 3% difference is what turned these shoes into cultural icons.

Here’s how we can apply this to advertising.

Applying the 3% Rule

If you want to find content ideas and ads that will work, play off of content or ideas you already see online.

Take great content as inspiration, adjust for your brand and product, and now you have a new idea.

Now I wouldn't copy frame for frame, but it should at least help you get in the mode of coming up with ideas.

For this to work, you have to go to outside your bubble and industry.

I think there is a sea of sameness in most industries because people try to copy one another.

Winners in any industry can break out with new ideas.

So for the 3% rule to work, you have to take what is working elsewhere in the world, can change it for you.

Heck - I am taking design philosophy and putting that into the advertising space. I am doing what I preach in this very newsletter.

Open to listening

The reason many people cannot come up with ideas is that they are not in the world listening.

They are so stuck trying to be in the data and work, that they forget to live.

I don't need to get all woo woo here, but if you are trying to advertise to people in the world, you need to be a citizen of the world and culture.

You need to listen to what is important to people.

What makes them laugh? What makes them cry? What are their fears? What shows do they watch, why?

This is where you will find inspiration.

These conversations help you shape copy, language, and visuals.

You can't cook great ads in a lab isolated. You must do it in culture and in conversations.

When I am with friends, they tend to give me more ad ideas than myself.

Normal people are a goldmine for ideas.

Us advertisers - we aren't normal haha.

Beyond just friends and people, you want to find visuals that you love.

Recently I have been studying The Bear a lot for cinematography.

I am trying to pull from spaces and visuals most advertisers aren’t looking. They are stuck in Facebook Ads Library.

Always be listening, looking, and taking notes to help find that breakthrough idea.

Last week I talked about creativity is not a finite resource - it's a muscle that grows stronger with exercise.

You need to listen to the world around you. Be curious and open-minded to people and culture.

Was this helpful? Let me know by replying!

I will see you next week.

Until then, keep creating!

Matthew Gattozzi

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