WoMBAT part 2 - How We Came Up With the Best Idea You’ll Never See on TV
One of the questions I get asked most is: “How do you come up with your ideas?”
The honest answer? We ask better questions than everyone else.
As I wrote yesterday, At The Idea Integration Co., we use a CIA-inspired framework called WoMBAT, short for What Might Be All The… It’s my secret weapon. It forces us (and our clients) to explore wide, weird, wonderful thinking before we narrow in on a final concept. It stops us from jumping at the first idea, and pushes us toward the right one.
So today, I want to take you behind the curtain. Let’s talk about one of our favorite recent pitches, a campaign that sadly never made it into the wild, but damn did it deserve to.
The Brief:
A major TV network wanted attention for a new show set in Harlem. Not modern Harlem, the Harlem of the underground 70's:
Organized crime
Legendary nightlife
Black culture and soul
A little danger, a lot of style
The show pulsed with the energy of the 60s and 70s, a blend of swagger, rhythm, and grit. So naturally, the early ideas from the client’s side were… safe. Block party. Club. Stars from the show. Music. A themed cocktail.
Nice enough, but no one would remember it. That’s where we came in.
Our Process: Enter WoMBAT
We asked:
What Might Be All The ways to bring Harlem to life?
What Might Be All The ways to show not just the setting, but the soul of this show?
What Might Be All The forgotten, raw, untapped details of this era that could surprise and delight an audience?
We didn’t dive into Pinterest mood boards or agency decks. We dove into culture.
We watched: Hell Up in Harlem, Super Fly, Coffy, Black Caesar, Foxy Brown, and Shaft (the original, not the remakes).
We read about Harlem’s political movements, fashion, architecture, and police tensions. We studied the Harlem Renaissance aftershock, and how it laid the foundation for the cultural defiance of the ‘70s. We dug into articles, oral histories, and museum archives. And what jumped out at us, what demanded to be turned into something, was the Harlem numbers racket.
It wasn’t just a plotline. It was a symbol. A piece of community history that blended hustle, hope, crime, and survival.
The Idea: Play the Numbers, Win the Experience
We pitched a multi-layered activation built around bringing back the Harlem numbers game.
Actors in era-appropriate wardrobe ran sidewalk "number parlors" in Harlem and NYC.
People played for a chance to win. But the prizes weren’t cash. They were access to two completely different but era-accurate experiences.
Prize Option 1: The Velvet Rope Club Event
A fully immersive nightclub party, stars of the show, DJs spinning Curtis Mayfield and Aretha, velvet roped entrance, 1970s drink menus, and a vibe like Studio 54 opened a branch in uptown Manhattan.
Prize Option 2: The Blackout of ’77
We recreate the infamous New York City blackout of 1977, on a single block. Streetlights out. Music pumping from a boom box on a car hood. And for our “lottery winners,” legal looting begins. Stores (set dressed to look like electronics shops, record stores, and fashion boutiques of the time) are filled with show merchandise, faux 70s stereos, bell bottoms, afros on mannequin heads, crates of vinyl, and more. People walk out with bags full of swag, stories to tell, and a full-body understanding of the chaos, tension, and vibe the show aimed to capture.
Why It Worked (and Why It Didn’t Happen)
The idea hit every note the show wanted:
It was rooted in Harlem history
It showcased the underground culture
It was experiential, media-worthy, and participatory
It made people feel something
But ultimately? The network passed. They went with the “block party and signature cocktail” approach.
Weeks later, I saw a blurry photo from their event get posted to Instagram. Hardly any engagement. No press pickup. Nothing that made people feel anything except, “Oh cool, another party.”
The Real Lesson: Safe Ideas Feel Safe. Brave Ideas Change Culture.
That’s the difference between marketing for impressions and marketing for impact.
At The Idea Integration Co., we’re not chasing likes. We’re building cultural moments that connect your brand to your audience through emotion, surprise, and depth.
And the reason we’re able to do that consistently? We always start with WoMBAT. We don’t ask “What should we do?” We ask “What might be ALL the ways we could make this unforgettable?”
The answers that follow are never safe. But they’re always worth it.
If you want brave ideas that people feel in their bones, not just see in their feeds… let’s talk.
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