Behavioral Science For Brands: Leveraging behavioral science in brand marketing. Interview: Kevin Chesters, co-author of The Creative Nudge, on why great creativity requires discomfort, not consensus
Feb 4, 2026
Kevin Chesters, strategist and co-author of The Creative Nudge, explores creativity through behavioral science. He explains why novelty feels uncomfortable and why time pressure kills good ideas. He argues creativity is a universal problem-solving skill, shows how leaders can create safe conditions for risk, and reframes being unreasonably ambitious as essential for breakthrough work.
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How Kevin Found Advertising And Behavioral Science
- Kevin traced his path into advertising via a 1993 university careers tool that suggested advertising and publishing. Rory Sutherland later became his early mentor and reconnected him to behavioral science through Ogilvy projects and nudge communities.
Creativity Is A Universal Human Capacity
- Creativity is not a job title or department; it's the pursuit of the new and can exist in any field. Treating creativity as a department lets most of the organization abdicate responsibility for innovation.
Fear Of The New Is Evolutionary
- Our brains are wired to avoid novelty because evolution prioritizes survival over exploration. That neophobia explains why people instinctively reject new ideas even when they might be valuable.
