For two days each September, Barkley agency in Kansas City locks its doors, rents a historical downtown theater, and kicks off a Creativity Symposium for its 350 employees – from the financial people to the highly creative folks.

They invite speakers from all over, and this year I was honored to give the opening session. I left totally impressed with Barkley’s commitment to creativity. Their motto is “Every idea has an expiration date,” so they’re constantly after new ideas – and new ways to discover those ideas.

“Great ideas can come from anywhere – and from anyone,” says Brian Brooker, CEO and chief creative director. “That’s why we include all our employees in this symposium – and why we mix different disciplines on all of our Idea Teams.”

Barkley also takes a page from Jim Collins’s philosophy that the good is the enemy of the great. “We encourage our teams to come up with good ideas,” says Brooker. “Then we ask them to put those aside and generate even better ones.”

This focus on creativity seems to pay off. Barkley’s producing excellent work, including the clever and popular Sonic Drive In television spots. Among those creating the Sonic ads is – drumroll please – Portfolio Center alum Sarah Coker, now a senior writer at Barkley.

Sarah made her mark while a PC student, always passionately involved in everything – the classes, the parties, the special projects – and she’s now making her place in advertising and brand communications.

One of Sarah’s Sonic pieces is the “moustache” spot, which was on the Cannes Film Lion Shortlist and won tons of other awards. Take a look by clicking here.

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