Forget Ted Lasso’s Total Football, Try Total Invention
Comedy can be a powerful vessel for revealing truth. Ted Lasso took full advantage of this, delivering an outsized helping of home truths and life lessons. But one of its greatest lessons came in the form of a team management approach that’s changed how I think about leading creative work.
For those who haven’t seen Ted Lasso, here’s a quick history lesson on Total Football, one of the game’s greatest innovations. Total Football (that is soccer, not American football) is a tactical theory of football in which any player (apart from the goalkeeper) can take over the role of any other player in a team. It emphasises fluidity, versatility and high levels of skill and fitness.
It was pioneered by Dutch coach Rinus Michels in the 1970s and famously implemented by Ajax and the Netherlands national team, which took the small but mighty nation all the way to the World Cup finals.
Johan Cruyff, one of the game’s greatest players and a disciple of Rinus, was a key figure in its development and success. He brought the strategy to FC Barcelona, where a young Pep Guardiola picked up the torch, eventually applying the principles with great success as the manager of Bayern Munich and Man City, leading his teams to multiple domestic and international titles.
The system relies on players’ ability to adapt and interchange positions seamlessly, creating dynamic and unpredictable attacking patterns while maintaining a strong defensive structure.
Football is creativity in motion. It is no different from the process involved in developing creative work. I have been studying, borrowing and honing these principles, and I’m excited to let you know that they work in a creative pitch just as well as the football pitch - like really work.
I call it Total Invention. And I’d like to share with you the five tenets of the philosophy:
Just like Total Football, Total Invention takes a high degree of craft, ability and focus. To apply this approach, build teams with a top practitioner from each department. At Code and Theory, we’re particularly lucky – not just because of how talented our people are – but because this philosophy lets us build a team spanning product strategy, brand strategy, data and research, conceptual creative, design, video and motion, technology and production. Things really start getting interesting when we apply the dynamic and collaborative philosophy of Total Invention to build a relentlessly connected and consistent ecosystem of customer interactions that span digital product, communications and IRL experiences.
It’s the holy grail of modern brand building, and I believe Total Invention is the philosophy to make it happen.
1. Position Flexibility, Fluid Movement and Focus: Cultivate a space where team members contribute beyond their defined roles. Copywriters, designers, strategists and account managers should be comfortable stepping into each other’s shoes, sharing ideas and providing feedback on all aspects of the pitch. We don’t work in siloed roles, but rather as one collective solving a problem. However, there is only one captain, or DRI (Directly Responsible Individual – usually a strategist at Code and Theory), who needs to maintain the focus and is the final decision maker to avoid swirl and decision by committee.
2. Cohesion, Communication and Collective Responsibility: a strong sense of team unity, candour and trust is essential. Ego has no place. Create an open, supportive environment where all voices are valued. Maintain clear, precise and open communication within the team. Maintain regular check-ins to ensure everyone is on the same page and understands the overall vision and progress of the pitch. Most importantly, instil a sense of shared ownership over the pitch’s success. Give team members specific things to own rather than piecemeal tasks, and ensure team members feel accountable not just for their individual contribution but for the overall outcome.
3. Spatial Awareness and Adaptability: Make sure the team has a deep understanding of the client’s brand, market position and audience. This awareness allows the pitch to be tailored precisely to what the client needs and values, enabling everyone to make smart, strategic decisions based on intelligence. Adaptability is key, and team members should be able to pivot and adjust the work based on feedback or new insights, ensuring that the final output is the best possible version.
4. High Energy: Foster an energetic and motivated team culture with an inspirational internal goal for the work. Encourage creativity, high levels of engagement and a hunger to learn from each other so that the team remains enthusiastic and driven throughout the work. And keep an eye out for anyone in need of support.
5. Creativity and Invention: This seems like an obvious one, but this isn’t just about the creativity of ideas; it’s about creativity in how we get ideas, in how we do research and in how we present the work. Encourage out-of-the-box thinking and innovation. Provide the team with the freedom and resources to explore new ideas and approaches, ensuring the work is fresh, unique, and memorable.
Jonny Hawton is the senior director of creative strategy and brand.
