The Power of In-Between Moments: Jam Sessions Inspire Overloaded In-house Agency Creatives
At Ideasicle X, we’ve tapped into a key insight: creativity often hits people in the “in-between times of the day”—those quiet moments like waiting for morning coffee, spotting a quirky store display, or catching a radio lyric. Our virtual platform harnesses this dynamic by letting experts absorb a creative brief, step away to live their lives, and allow ideas to form through unexpected collisions—like a grocery end-cap inspiring a promotion or a podcast hinting at a campaign hook.
Recognizing this potential beyond our platform, Jen Wiese, one of our more prolific Ideasicle Experts freelances with in-house agencies frequently and saw a fit for their struggling creative teams. She noted executive creative directors (ECDs) were frustrated by poor collaboration and dulled edges from in-house isolation. Her solution? Ideasicle X Jam Sessions, a professional development program leveraging our “in-between” dynamic to sharpen skills and generate ideas without overloading schedules. Here’s how it works and why it will inspire in-house creatives.
‘In-between’ professional development
Traditional professional development—think day-long workshops or offsite retreats—is often impractical, adding stress to already packed schedules. Jam Sessions solve this by leveraging the virtual power of our platform, allowing your team to grow their skills and generate ideas in the natural flow of their day. It’s development that respects their time and workload, delivering results without disruption.
Plus, it’s fun.
Jam Sessions: Liberate your creatives
Ideasicle X Jam Sessions are virtual, asynchronous brainstorming sessions designed to hone collaboration skills while incidentally producing ideas. Built for creatives by creatives, Jam Sessions create a virtual (and safe) space where taking creative risks is encouraged and every idea, baked or half-baked, is welcome. And your creatives get to rub virtual elbows with advertising legends. Here’s the process:
Jam Session 1: Collaborating with Advertising Legends
The Idea Stream
We form teams of four—two of your in-house creatives paired with two Ideasicle Experts. Could be greats like Ernie Schenck, Kara Goodrich, David Baldwin, Monica Taylor or others. Each team is briefed with a real marketing challenge your brand faces, such as a campaign concept or promotional need. Over a few days, they brainstorm on our platform, posting ideas, building on each other’s ideas, and riffing up new directions. The asynchronous “in-between times of the day” setup means your creatives contribute not on a schedule but between meetings, during a quiet evening, or whenever inspiration hits.
Because when inspiration does strike, they just pull out their phone, go to the Ideasicle X “Idea Stream”—our virtual brainstorming interface—for that job and post the idea. The rest of the team is pinged that a new idea is posted, and the building and riffing continues.
Your team members are full participants, learning how top-tier creatives collaborate. They’ll post an idea, see it evolve through someone else’s build, and experience the thrill of riffing on a teammate’s thought. ECDs and senior leaders can observe the process in real-time, seeing every idea as it unfolds without interfering. It’s a window into your team’s growth and a source of raw, usable ideas.
Jam Session 2: Your Team Takes the Lead
After working with the experts, your creatives form their own teams of four and tackle another challenge. They apply the collaboration techniques they’ve learned, working together with renewed confidence. The platform’s flexibility ensures this doesn’t disrupt their regular workload, as they contribute in their in-between moments. Again, you’ll observe these sessions too, watching your team become a tighter, more collaborative unit. Note: you get a free subscription to the Ideasicle X platform, so you’ll be training your teams to work virtually as well.
Collaboration Reports: Capturing the Growth
Each creative writes a one-page report reflecting on their experience—specific examples of effective collaboration, surprises, and insights. These reports are designed for self-reflection, but can also inform performance reviews or promotion discussions.
Who Benefits?
Jam Sessions are tailored for in-house agencies but resonate with anyone in advertising needing professional development but facing intense workloads. They’re ideal for:
Junior creatives building confidence and refining their skills
Experienced creatives needing a fresh perspective to break out of routine
Teams struggling to collaborate effectively on idea generation
In-house ECDs who need high-quality ideas and a way to develop their staff without overhauling schedules
The asynchronous nature makes it practical. No one has to carve out a full day or travel. Jam Sessions fit into the natural rhythm of a creative’s life, using those in-between moments to drive growth and inspiration.
What You Get
Each Jam Session delivers:
30-50 original ideas per round, addressing your brand’s specific challenges
Skilled, inspired creatives who’ve learned collaboration from industry leaders
A one-year subscription to IX Original (valued at $5,000), allowing you to run unlimited idea projects with your team or our experts
The cost is a $5,000 setup fee plus $2,000 per creative. Many companies use HR professional development budgets to cover this, as it directly enhances team capabilities.
Take the Next Step
Ready to sharpen your team’s skills and unlock ideas? Schedule a free demo with me using my Calendly or email me at willb@ideasicle.com.
Click here to download an executive summary, including pricing.
In advertising, the best ideas come from those in-between places—and with Ideasicle X Jam Sessions, they’re closer than you think.
Will Burns is the Founder & CEO of the revolutionary virtual-idea-generating company, Ideasicle X. He’s an advertising veteran from such agencies as Wieden & Kennedy, Goodby Silverstein, Arnold Worldwide, and Mullen. He was a Forbes Contributor for nine years writing about creativity in modern branding. Sign up for the Ideasicle Newsletter and never miss a post like this. Will’s bio.