Concept
In a Nutshell
A concept is the core creative thought that holds a piece of work together. In theory: the frame every decision rests on. In practice: the sentence that gets applause in the deck but is forgotten in execution.
What It Really Means
The concept is the 'why' of a campaign. Visual, copy, and channel decisions should all connect to it. A good concept gathers the work around a single thought.
But the concept is the thing that falls apart most easily during execution. Every new request, every extra visual, every 'let's also add this' weakens it a little more.
Work looks strong not because of the concept's ambition, but its consistency. A scattered concept becomes a piece made of nice parts with no whole.
A concept should be judged not in the presentation, but by whether it is still standing at the end of the work.