After 30 years of winning brands global attention with quirky ideas, I’ve concluded that you don’t need a zillion dollars for global buzz.

You don’t need Big Ideas. You need VASTTT ones.

VASTTT (pronounced like “vast”) ideas are simultaneously the following six things: Visual, Amusing, Simple, Timely, True and Transcultural.

VASTTT ideas comprise a new framework or protocol for winning global attention.

I unpack all six elements in the webinar I give called SILLY WORLDWIDE: How to Win Global Attention with Quirky Ideas that Make the World Smile.

Here’s a quick summary:

Visual – it needs to yield a strong picture or video, preferably both. We’re a visual species, in an ever more visual age. Pictures travel, words struggle.

Amusing – almost all the ideas that go most viral, according to the data, are funny. Make ’em laugh, or smile, at least.

Simple – able to communicate in a nanosecond. Complexity clogs our attention; clarity connects.

Timely – answers “why now?” A topical hook beats a generic one almost every time.

True – strikes a chord. The best ideas ring true by expressing a relatable truth.

Transcultural – transcends cultures. Travels without translation. No local adaptation required.

Three or four of these, and an idea has a real shot at going global.

All six, and your odds are even better.