Every creative brief has this line, or something similar.  It forces us to state why we're doing work in the first place. And I thought about it shortly after the Vancouver Olympics just ended. 

If you ask the International Olympic committee why countries compete in the Olympic Games, they would say, "To build a better world through sport."

If you ask Russian President Dmitri Medvedev why his country competes in the Olympics, he'd give a very different answer: "To win."

As you've probably heard by now, Medvedev was none too pleased at his country's low medal count at the Vancouver Olympics.  He wants heads to roll, and it looks like he just got his wish.  He made it very clear that the primary (and perhaps sole) goal is to win a lot more medals when the games are held on his home turf of Sochi, Russia, in 2014.

Of course every country wants to perform well at the Olympics -- because every athlete wants to perform well.  But are the colors and number of medals the only measure of success? 

Quick - which 2010 Olympic figure skating moment stands out most to you?  If you didn't say the Lysacek - Plushenko battle and controversy (not unexpected considering which country was discounting the other), you likely thought of Canadian Joannie Rochette's remarkable performance just days after her mother died of a heart attack.  Her performance literally had viewers and commentators in tears.  By medal standards, two other skaters "performed" better, including one South Korean skater who got the highest scores of any female Olympic skater in the history of the Olympics!!!

(Side note: as a fellow planner here pointed out to me, the most memorable - in a good way - Olympic moments aren't all gold winners, including the unforgettable story of Derek Redmond and his father.)

So, do you think Rochette pulled that off because she was trying to win?  Or because she was trying to honor her mother (and perhaps her country) by skating her heart out?

And which country do you think "won" more from that competition - Canada or South Korea?

Now back to the title of this entry.  It's easy to answer that question in the brief this way, every time: "Sell more."  And sometimes (DRTV, FSI, etc.) you're trying to do just that - get people to buy, now.

But will the most powerful work always emerge from this goal?  Or will it come when the goal is to engage people, to connect with them emotionally, and get them to think about your brand in a fresh, new way?

I won't be surprised if Russia wins more medals in Sochi in 2014.  But I don't know that means they'll "win."  At least not in the way that Rochette and Canada "won" this time.