And it's got me thinking about where and when I've seen the freshest ideas in advertising over the years. And I think there's a connection.

Go ahead, scan your own memory banks. Think of the most creative advertising you've seen in any category. And think particularly about the campaigns where you know some of the behind the scenes details; like who exactly created the ads, how long the agency had the account, how long the client had been in business or even how long the category had existed.

I've done this exercise. Not very scientifically, mind you. But I've discovered enough interesting results, along with my observations of people in the heat of creative exploration, to see some things much clearer.

Much of what I used to attribute to "fresh perspective," I now see to be not just a new mind against the problem, but also a more empty mind. A mind with less knowledge, less encumbered by knowing "how it's done."

Go to your own stack of CA Advertising Annuals. Take some notes.

Here are some of the patterns I see when I line up what I believe to be some of the freshest campaigns of their time: I see fresh thinking in new product categories. I see the occasional fresh idea in old categories, but when I explore deeper, I often find that the people creating the new stuff are new to the category, or the entire agency is new to the playing field.