Do you remember this familiar scene? It’s a typical day in an agency. The day of presentation. Obviously, the brief was given two weeks back. The agency decided to douse other fires closer home. The presentation date was non-negotiable. Everybody tried. The client didn’t budge. Even before you knew, D Day was already a mere 24 hours away. It was that day, when nothing could be pushed. So, teams huddled. Brainstormed. Took endless smoke breaks. Obviously, there were fights. And then, bingo! The idea rocked the whole room. Everyone loved it. The trainee who came up with the thought starter was already dreaming of making it to Cannes. He’s already made that call back home, teary eyed.

Alright, so after a full night’s work, the entire team has finally cracked the deck. The layouts are in place. The strat piece looks rad and in perfect sync with the big thought. Numbers make sense on the slides and hell, you already have the go ahead from top bosses. This looks good. Only, it doesn’t. There’s something missing. I mean it’s all there but something’s still missing. This makes you restless while the rest of the team is hi-fiving or packing up to go home.

But you have to get into the car. It’s time, and knowing peak traffic hours, you don’t want to look bad entering late. You have already stretched time, as it is. So, you hop in with your creative arsenal backed by heads of strategy and business, trying to piece the missing link in your head. And that’s when you remember. Off course it is missing! How could anybody not see it? Where’s the social gamification idea? Yeah! We missed out on the technology extension. Also, where’s that app idea everybody was drooling about last night? Didn’t we discuss the metaverse?

While the rest assure you that it can be ‘verbalized’, you aren’t really convinced. No, it needs to be seen. Even if it’s a mood board. Obviously, you call the guy everybody calls at the last minute. The Art Director. Who by now, has already packed up after convincing his wife he'll take her out for a movie to make up for the night. Off course, he’s irritated but he won’t show. You feel sorry but you won’t show. It’s work, after all. So, while reaching the client office, you are reworking on the slides while Google takes you on a royal detour.

After those painstaking moments, your deck is finally ready. You heave a deep sigh of satisfaction. Now there, this looks good. Well rounded. Perfect. Logical. It’s almost as if the deck has been miraculously transformed. You enter the office, confident you will slay it in the room today.

Only realizing, something’s missing again. Only this time, you won’t say it.