There’s a reason people don’t wax poetic about a well-done steak. Because the more you mess with it and overdo it, the more it loses the bold, beefy qualities that make it special in the first place. And as a guy who’s cooked too many steaks (and made plenty of ads) this crossed my mind while grilling over hot coals on a hot day:

A great ad is just like a medium-rare steak. It’s not overcooked or overthought or too complex. It’s a mouthwatering morsel cooked with fiery focus.

Start with a quality cut

A prime steak doesn’t need to be drowned in marinades or doused with sauces. Same goes for a good insight. If you’ve got a juicy, fresh slice of strategy, you don’t need gimmicks to make it palatable. You just need to let the beefiness shine through — in the form of a good idea seasoned with salt, pepper, and maybe garlic if you’re feeling fancy. Butter is welcome, too. 

High-heat only

This is something I always preach. The best steak is seared on screaming-hot cast iron or on a ripping-hot grill. You gotta play with fire, because it’s the only way to get that treasured crispy crust. If you cook it at too low a heat, why are you even grilling at all? You might as well cook it in the oven.

In advertising, if you (or especially your clients) aren't at least a little nervous it might “burn” you’re probably not cooking it right. Great ad campaigns tend to flirt with danger. They don’t sit at 300 degrees until consensus renders them gray and safe. They make bold choices and go for it. 

Too many cooks spoil the strip 

A kitchen only needs a small team of experts to cook the perfect steak. When everyone crowds the grill and moves the steak or weighs in with their opinions, it gets ruined. 

The same thing happens in marketing. When too many hands try to shape an idea, you lose the sear and the soul. Too many flips make the seasoning fall off on the grates. You lose those precise, diamond-shaped grill marks. And you almost always overcook it. 

That’s why the best ads are made by small, focused teams who know what they’re trying to communicate (and where the grill's hot spots are). If you’ve appointed someone as grill master, trust them to deliver the same way you’d trust your dentist or roofer to do their job without constant oversight.

Respect the meat

A great ad, like a great steak, knows what it is. It doesn’t try to be everything to everyone. As Bill would say, “Your brand shouldn’t be a buffet. It should be a steakhouse. Ideally one that’s known for a certain kind of steak.” 

A tender, red-in-the-middle steak doesn’t apologize. It leans into its core strength. And if someone doesn’t like it, or it’s not cooked the way they want, that’s expected. You can’t make everyone happy. But your steak lovers (hopefully your target audience) should lap it right up. 

Give it time to rest

A little patience goes a long way after you’ve pulled your steak from the grill. Giving it a little time to rest guarantees a better steak, because the meat has time to retain its juiciness. Imagine buying an expensive steak and putting in the effort to cook it, only to fumble at the 1-yard line. 

The same happens once a campaign goes live. Give it a minute, people. A new brand platform or campaign takes time to catch on and build momentum. If you want to slice into it the second it comes off the grill, expect an underwhelming bite. 

So the next time you're building a campaign, ask yourself: Are you making a medium-rare masterpiece? Or are you slow-roasting something lifeless andcompletely un-bold? 

Because in this business, work that’s well-done is almost always medium-rare.

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