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It's your turn. In this hands-on workshop, you'll apply everything you've learned to write a real brand manifesto β using the Ad Legends Manifesto Generator and Cheryl's Four Pillars framework as your guide.
This is the moment everything has been building toward. You've learned what a manifesto is. You've studied the greatest examples in advertising history. You've walked through the Ad Legends Manifesto Generator step by step. Now it's time to write one of your own.
This workshop will take approximately 20 minutes. Set aside focused time β no multitasking, no distractions. Great manifesto writing requires presence.
Before you open the Manifesto Generator, complete this pre-writing exercise on paper or in a notes document. Don't overthink it β write fast, write honestly.
Answer these five questions:
What does your brand believe? Write one sentence that starts with 'We believe...' Don't edit it. Just write what's true.
Who is your brand for? Describe them in human terms. What do they care about? What frustrates them? What do they dream about?
What is your brand against? Name the enemy β the status quo, the mindset, the industry convention your brand exists to challenge.
What would the world look like if your brand succeeded completely? Paint a picture of the world your brand is trying to create.
What's the one thing you want someone to feel after reading your manifesto? Inspired? Seen? Angry? Hopeful? Name the emotion.
These five answers are your creative brief. They are the raw material from which your manifesto will be built.
Open the Ad Legends Manifesto Generator and follow the steps from the previous lesson:
Read the output. Don't judge it yet. Just read it.
Now read it aloud.
With your generated draft in front of you, evaluate it against Cheryl's Four Pillars:
Humanity: Does it speak to the human condition? Does it make the reader feel seen? Underline any line that feels genuinely human. Circle any line that feels corporate or generic.
Power: Does it take a real position? Is there anything in here that someone could disagree with? If every line is safe and agreeable, it needs more power.
Personality: Read it aloud again. Does it sound like your brand? Or could it be any brand in your category? If it could be anyone, it needs more personality.
Purpose: Does it answer the question 'why do we exist?' Is the brand's reason for being clear and compelling?
Make notes on what's working and what needs to change. Be honest. Be specific.
Using your Four Pillars evaluation, go back into the Manifesto Generator and use the Refine options to address the gaps you identified:
After 1-2 refinement rounds, you'll have a draft that's genuinely yours. Now do one final edit by hand β change any word that doesn't feel exactly right, add a line that only you could write, remove anything that feels generic.
Read it aloud one final time. If it gives you even a small chill β if it makes you proud β it's done.
Save it to your Campaign Workbench. You've just written a brand manifesto.
Your manifesto is not just a piece of writing. It's the foundation of everything your brand will create. In the final lesson of this course, Cheryl will show you how to use your manifesto as a creative brief β and how to let it guide every campaign, every piece of content, and every creative decision your brand makes going forward.
No problem. Choose a brand you admire, a brand you'd love to work on, or invent a fictional brand for the exercise. The skills you develop are completely transferable. Many of the best creative exercises in advertising history have been done on made-up brands.
Cheryl's test: read it aloud to someone who knows nothing about your brand. If they feel something β if they lean forward, if they nod, if they say 'that's exactly right' β it's done. If they look politely confused, keep going.
Absolutely. Once you're happy with your manifesto, you can share it to the Community Gallery from the Campaign Workbench. Getting feedback from other creative professionals is one of the best ways to sharpen your work.