“Do the right thing” is a well-known phrase in the United States, typically defined as: do the morally correct thing, the honest and fair thing. It became cemented in the American imagination after Spike Lee’s famous movie of the same name. Mr. Lee even uttered the phrase again in his 2018 Oscar speech.

But in the United States, the word “right” can also mean “responsible,” and that’s the twist we put on the phrase here, using “the right thing” to describe the kinds of safe, risk-averse choices that lead to mediocre and often invisible advertising. The opposite of “right,” in this case, is not “wrong,” but “brave.” To refuse to do the right thing is to embrace risk and steer away from convention.

This piece was written as part of TBWA/Chiat/Day’s 50th anniversary celebration and released on what would have been Jay Chiat’s 83rd birthday. The intended audience was not just TBWA’s global network but the entire ad industry, including clients.

We strived to avoid tired corporate manifesto language and cadences. Instead, we used the idea of a “locker room speech” as our model. Our goal was to make the piece brief, punchy and inspiring, incorporating both high and low language. We knew we wanted to start with a provocation that contained our central truth – something with stopping power. Our spiritual and tonal guide during the writing was Jay Chiat, pioneer of west coast American advertising. Known for being rascally and provocative, Jay did not suffer fools. It’s fair to say that we channeled Jay in the writing of this piece, and that he is its author as much as anyone.