Creative Brief Template
A numbered creative brief with the objective, audience, key insight, mandatories, deliverables, budget, and sign-off. Built for agencies and brand teams to align before a campaign starts.
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Northfold Studio · Creative Brief
JOB NF-KES-0412 · V2 · 12 OCT 2026
Kestrel Outdoor Co. · Spring Launch 2027
Built for the Long Way Round
PRODUCT Traverse 38 / 45
LAUNCH 10 Mar 2027
MARKETS US + Canada
LEAD Jonah Weiss, CD
01 · Objective
Make Traverse the first pack people name for long trips.
Sell 11,000 units in the first 8 weeks at a 4.0× paid ROAS, and grow aided awareness among US backpackers from 14% to 20% by 30 Apr.
02 · Audience
The "second-pack" buyer, 28–45.
They own a cheap first pack and now plan 3–6 night trips. They read gear reviews, trust long-term tests over launch hype, and will pay $240–$320 for a pack that lasts ten seasons.
03 · Single-minded proposition
ONE THING TO REMEMBER
The further you take it,
the better it gets.
04 · Insight
"I don't want a pack that looks new. I want one that looks like it has been somewhere."
From 22 interviews with Kestrel customers, Aug 2026. 17 of 22 said the scuffs were the point.
05 · Mandatories
- Lifetime repair promise in every asset over 6 s
- Show real wear: no new-out-of-box hero shots
- Kestrel wordmark bottom-left, clear space 1× the K
- Recycled-nylon claim only as "82% recycled nylon"
- Field testers are real people, credited by name
06 · Deliverables
| | Hero film, 60 s + 30 s cut | 16:9 · 3840×2160 | 2 | | | ------------------------------ | ---------------- | -- | | | Vertical cutdowns, 15 s / 6 s | 9:16 · 1080×1920 | 12 | | | Social statics | 4:5 · 1080×1350 | 18 | | | Search ad copy sets (RSA) | 15 H × 4 D | 6 | | | Launch email series | 600 px HTML | 3 | | | Landing page, desktop + mobile | Shopify section | 1 | | | Trailhead posters | 24×36 in · print | 4 | | | Retail shelf talkers | 4×6 in · print | 2 |
07 · Budget
$214,000ALL-IN
Paid media, 10 Mar – 30 Apr $118,000
Production: film, photo, post $82,000
Agency fee, fixed $14,000
08 · Approvals
Dana Whitcomb · CMO, final Due 16 Oct
Ruth Kim · Brand Manager ✓ 11 Oct
Jonah Weiss · Northfold CD ✓ 12 Oct
02 Nov
Kick-off Brief signed, team briefed in Portland
23 Nov
Three routes Concepts presented to Kestrel
12 Jan
Shoot, 4 days Olympic Peninsula, WA
20 Feb
Final assets All formats delivered
10 Mar
Launch Paid, email and site go live
Northfold Studio · Portland, OR · jonah@northfold.studio Brief · 1 / 2
Northfold Studio · Creative Brief
JOB NF-KES-0412 · TONE & REFERENCES
Tone &
references
Write like the friend who has done the route twice: calm, specific, a little dry. Numbers beat adjectives. Miles beat moments.
Say this Do
miles weathered repairable carried patient earned 10 seasons the long way
Like: "Tested for 1,400 trail miles. Still zipping."
Not this Don't
epic conquer extreme ultimate beast mode adventure awaits game-changer
Not: "Conquer any summit with the ultimate pack."
Three moods
Colour references for film, photo & grade
First light #C9A27A
#6E7B5B
#2F3A2E
5:40 am, Hoh River
Cold, low sun through cedar. Breath visible. The pack is already on, straps tight, nobody is posing.
Worn in #8B4A2B
#B97A4C
#D9C3A5
Worn in, not worn out
Macro shots of scuffed fabric, field repairs and faded webbing. Texture first. Warm, slightly lifted blacks.
Ridge at dusk #2C3442
#5B6A7D
#C77B54
Night four, still walking
Blue hour on an open ridge, one headlamp. Wide, quiet frames that make the walk feel long and worth it.
Channel matrix
Role, lead asset and weight by channel
| Channel | Role | Lead asset | Message focus | Flight | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| YouTube + CTV | Aware | Hero film 60 s / 30 s | The proposition, full story | 10 Mar – 14 Apr | ●●●● |
| Meta + Instagram | Aware | Tester cutdowns, statics | Real wear, named testers | 10 Mar – 30 Apr | ●●●● |
| TikTok | Consider | 6 s + 15 s verticals | Field repairs, pack-outs | 17 Mar – 30 Apr | ●●●● |
| Google Search | Convert | RSA sets by pack size | Litres, weight, repair promise | 10 Mar – 30 Apr | ●●●● |
| Convert | 3-part launch series | Early access, 48 h for the list | 05 – 12 Mar | ●●●● | |
| Trailheads + retail | Consider | Posters, shelf talkers | "Take the long way round." | 10 Mar – 31 May | ●●●● |
Northfold Studio × Kestrel Outdoor Co. · Spring 2027 Brief · 2 / 2
Related reading
Frequently asked questions
What is a creative brief?
A creative brief is a short document that aligns a team before creative work starts. It states the objective, the audience, the one insight to build on, what must be included, what to deliver, and the budget. Everyone works from the same brief instead of guessing.
What should a creative brief include?
Include the objective, the target audience, one memorable insight, any mandatories like logo rules or legal claims, a list of deliverables with formats, the budget, and a line for sign-off. This template has a numbered section for each one.
Who writes a creative brief?
A brand manager, marketing lead, or account manager at an agency usually writes the brief, then the creative or production team works from it. A clear brief saves rounds of revision because the team knows the target before it starts.
Is this creative brief template free?
Yes. You can customize the creative brief template for free and download it as a print-ready PDF. Describe your campaign and the AI fills in each numbered section for you.
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