What it's for
- Agencies taking a brief from a client, or writing one with them.
- Account leads briefing designers, writers and developers.
- Agreeing what is being made before anyone starts.
What's inside
- Creative brief
- Background, objective, audience, the single most important message, tone, deliverables, mandatories, timing, budget and approvals.
- Project brief
- Background, goals and how success is measured, scope, deliverables, people, timeline, budget, risks and approvals.
Preview
| Section | What the brief says |
|---|---|
| Objective | Get 2,000 people to download the loyalty app in the 6 weeks after launch. |
| Audience | Regular customers aged 25 to 45 who buy coffee on the way to work. |
| Single most important message | Your tenth coffee is on us. |
| Deliverables | An A2 in-store poster, 3 social posts (1080 × 1350 pixels) and an email to the existing list. |
| Mandatories | The logo, the app store badges and the offer's terms on the poster. |
| Approvals | The marketing manager gives feedback and the managing director signs off. Two rounds of changes. |
A brief this specific lets the team test every idea against one objective and one message, and tells the client exactly what they will get.
Printable brief
Creative brief
Background
What is happening in the business or the market that makes this work needed now?
Objective
The one thing this work must achieve, and how you will measure it.
Audience
Who it is for: what they do, think and need. Be specific.
Single most important message
If people remember one thing, what should it be? One sentence.
Why they should believe it
Facts, proof or reasons that back the message up.
Tone
How it should feel. Point to the brand guidelines if there are any.
Deliverables
Each item with its format, size and channel.
Mandatories
What must be included or avoided: logos, required wording, accessibility needs.
Timing
First ideas, each round of feedback, final delivery and launch.
Budget
The budget or the hours, and what it covers, such as production, media or licences.
Approvals
Who gives feedback, who signs off, and how many rounds of changes are included.
Template by Jasper — heyjasper.ai
Project brief
Background
Why this project, and why now?
Goals and measures of success
What should be different when it is done, and how you will measure it.
Scope
What is included, and what is not.
Deliverables
Each deliverable and when it is due.
People
The sponsor, the person who makes decisions, the project lead, the team, and anyone else to keep informed.
Timeline and milestones
Key dates, and anything they depend on.
Budget
The budget in hours or money, and how it will be tracked.
Risks and assumptions
What could go wrong, what you are assuming, and what you will do about each.
Approvals
Who signs off the brief, and who signs off each deliverable.
Template by Jasper — heyjasper.ai
How to use it
- Choose the creative brief or the project brief above the form.
- Fill it in with the client, or send it to them and go through their answers together.
- Keep each answer short and specific: one objective, one main message, and named people for feedback and sign-off.
- Agree the brief before work starts, and keep it with the project.
- If the brief changes later, treat it as a change request (see the statement of work outline and change request form).
Questions
What is the difference between a creative brief and a project brief?
A creative brief is about the message: who it is for, what it must say and how it should feel. A project brief is about delivery: scope, deliverables, people, timeline, budget and risks. A campaign often needs both.
What makes a good creative brief?
One objective you can measure, a specific audience and a single most important message. Everything else (tone, deliverables, mandatories) supports those three.
Who should fill in the brief?
The client knows the business and the audience; the agency knows what a team needs to start. Fill it in together, or have the client draft it and go through it with them.
How long should a brief be?
Short enough that people read it. Each brief here fits on one or two printed pages.
About this template
Last reviewed 4 October 2026.
Changes: 4 October 2026: first published.
Free to use and change in your own business. Please don't resell the files or publish them as your own. More free templates.