Creative brief template (2026): copy + 4 worked examples

The template

The structure to copy and adapt

Brand & productRequired
What you're selling, in 1-2 sentences. Tight enough that a stranger gets it on first read.
AudienceRequired
Behavioral and specific. Not demographics. 'People who train 5+ hours/week and currently use generic electrolytes' beats 'males 25-45'.
GoalRequired
One outcome, measurable. Acquisition, retention, launch, reactivation - pick one. Briefs that hedge produce ads that hedge.
AngleRequired
The single sharp lens on your product. Not a feature list - the one thing that, if a creator made one ad about, would resonate.
Hook archetypeRequired
Problem→solution, day-in-the-life, transformation, founder-to-camera, testimonial, comparison, demo, unboxing. Name 1-2.
Do-notsRequired
3-5 explicit constraints. The negative space generates distinctive work. 'No price-led hook. No founder-to-camera. No bottle-shot static.'
References
5-10 reference ads from competitors or adjacent categories. Compresses 500 words of description into 5 links.
Deliverables
What gets shipped from this brief. '10 variants in 4:5 and 9:16 ratios, 15s and 30s cuts.' Concrete; lets the receiver scope.
Timeline
Brief to first review: X days. First review to finals: Y days. Finals to launch: Z days. Real timelines, not aspirational ones.

Filled-in examples

See the template in use

DTC supplement (Meta paid social) · DTC ecommerce

Brand & productGreenline Supplements - premium electrolyte powder with 3x the sodium of mainstream alternatives, third-party tested, no artificial dyes.
AudienceEndurance athletes 28-45 who train 5+ hours per week and currently use Liquid IV, LMNT, or store-brand electrolytes. Active in cycling, running, or triathlon communities.
GoalCold acquisition. Drive trial purchases of the starter bundle ($45 AOV).
AngleHigher sodium ratio (>1g per serving) versus the mainstream category at 250-500mg. Built for actual endurance use, not casual hydration.
Hook archetypeProblem→solution. Open on a specific moment of audience pain (mile 18 of a long ride, mid-marathon). Cut to product by second 4.
Do-notsNo price-led hook. No bottle-shot only static. No founder-to-camera. No 'hydration is important' generic copy. No discount as the lede.

Shuttergen

Generate the brief, not just download the template.

Shuttergen reads your brand and competitive set, then generates a ready-to-use brief - pre-filled with audience, angle, archetypes, and do-nots specific to your category.

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How to use the template above

Copy the template, fill in the required sections (the optional ones can stay placeholder for the first pass), and treat it as versioned - update it weekly based on what performs. Most teams write the brief once and never touch it again; the teams that compound on creative quality treat the brief as a document that evolves with the campaign.

Three rules for filling it in: (1) the audience section is the load-bearing one - if it's vague, everything downstream is vague; (2) the angle should be one sentence - if you can't compress to a sentence, you don't have the angle yet; (3) do-nots are mandatory - the absence of do-nots is the single biggest predictor of generic creative output.

If you only do one section well, do the do-nots. Negative space generates distinctive work; positive space without constraints produces category-average output.

Generate the brief, not just download the template. Shuttergen reads your brand and competitive set, then generates a ready-to-use brief - pre-filled with audience, angle, archetypes, and do-nots specific to your category.

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When to use which example as a starting point

Pick the example that matches your format and funnel stage, not your industry. Industry-specific copy is easy to replace; structural choices (hook archetype, do-nots, audience tightness) are harder. The DTC example is the right starting point for any direct-response paid social. The B2B SaaS example fits long-cycle B2B regardless of vertical. The beauty example fits any creator-led TikTok strategy. The influencer example fits any multi-creator launch.

Don't copy verbatim - the worked examples are calibration, not boilerplate. Adapt the structure, replace the substance.

Format-specific variants of the template

The template above is format-agnostic. For specific surfaces, you'll want lightweight variants:

Advertising creative brief - add 'campaign objective' and 'platform' as required fields; everything else holds. See advertising creative brief template.

Graphic design creative brief - add 'deliverable specs' (dimensions, file formats, color modes) as required; remove hook archetype. See graphic design creative brief template.

Video creative brief - add 'length' and 'aspect ratios' as required; tighten the hook archetype to video-specific options. See video creative brief template.

Influencer creative brief - add 'creator voice constraints' and 'usage rights' as required; loosen the do-nots to permit creator interpretation. See influencer creative brief template.

FAQ

Frequently asked

Can I download this creative brief template?

Yes - hit the 'Download .md' button on the template card above. The file is markdown; works in any text editor, imports cleanly into Notion, Google Docs, and Word.

Is there a free creative brief template?

The template above is free, copy-paste-ready, and unrestricted. No email gate. Use it for client work, in-house projects, or anything else.

What's the difference between a creative brief template and a creative brief example?

The template is the structure (section headers, what each section is for). The example is the filled-in version. Both above - templates are what you copy, examples are what you reference.

Should I use the same creative brief template for every campaign?

Same structure, yes. Same content, no. The template guarantees you cover the load-bearing sections; the content has to be re-derived per campaign. Re-use of structure compounds; re-use of content produces same-y output.

Where can I get creative brief examples by industry?

The 4 worked examples above cover DTC ecommerce, B2B SaaS, beauty/TikTok, and influencer campaigns. For more, see creative brief examples and advertising creative brief example.

How do I convert this template to Word or Google Docs?

Download the .md file from the button above. Paste the contents into Google Docs (which renders markdown headings as actual headings) or open in Word with markdown enabled. For PDF export, paste into Google Docs and use 'File → Download as PDF'.

Keep reading

Resource

Creative brief

The interactive brief builder.

Resource

What makes a good creative brief

The quality properties.

Resource

Creative Brief Examples

More filled-in examples.

Resource

How To Write A Creative Brief

Procedural walkthrough.

Research

Creative Brief Builder

The Shuttergen brief workflow.

Generate the brief, not just download the template.

Shuttergen reads your brand and competitive set, then generates a ready-to-use brief - pre-filled with audience, angle, archetypes, and do-nots specific to your category.

Generate a brief free Use the live brief builder →