"I think we should avoid setting any type on the cover this time," I said, discussing the upcoming issue of the alumni magazine for the college where I worked.

"Are you serious?" came the reply. "How will we get the message across about meeting our goal in the capital campaign?"

"Cake frosting," I said.

Slight pause.

At this point I was in danger of seeing my idea get flatly rejected. Our college had just reached a major milestone in fundraising among our alumni. They had been very generous over a multi-year campaign (the genesis of which predated my employment there) and the cover of this magazine -- usually a fairly distinguished-looking publication -- was going to be one of the primary ways in which we announced and acknowledged their generosity. And I wanted to do it without fonts.

I realized that the only way I was going to get buy-in would be to talk and sketch at the same time, so I quickly drew the outline of the new student union building -- the one the campaign had funded -- with six students in front, and a large cake in the foreground.

"This is more than an accomplishment and an acknowledgment," I said. "This is a celebration and a show of appreciation. The cover can tell that story by showing the result of the gifts, showing the faces of those who benefit most, and adding an element of fun and gratitude. Like they're throwing a party for the donors. The frosting on the cake could simply spell out the total dollar figure raised and a big, 'Thank you!' ... The audience will get it. They're all college grads, after all. And we are happy about this, right?"

Within two weeks I was directing the shoot.

I have always enjoyed taking these kinds of chances with marketing communications. There is some risk involved in challenging how you usually communicate. But audiences often respond well to that. The risk comes not so much from taking liberties with your brand, but taking liberties with your brand expression. How far can you push your messaging before you step out of bounds? The answer might surprise you.

The key moment in the process comes not when pitching an idea to the powers that be, but during your brainstorming sessions. What kinds of ideas are you willing to entertain? The ones you kill during that process are guaranteed never to see the light of day. But the ones you develop, even if they're outside your comfort zone, have a chance of making a difference and getting some attention.

I saw this campaign for Coca-Cola a number of years ago. While the viewer immediately "gets" it, I can only imagine the behind-the-scenes discussions that took place. No logo, no dominant red, no slogan, just bottles and "Love" in cursive. It took guts, even for Coke. But that's enough to get the message across. Playing on brand awareness (the bottle shape and cursive turned out to be sufficient), giving the viewer some credit for being smart enough, and getting buy-in from the decision makers required vision, rationale, and the courage to give it a try. Putting time and resources into that kind of exploration means belief in the value a certain irreverence.

Clever solutions require risk. But your audience will take notice. They will respect you for going out on a limb, and they will appreciate the respect you show them in assuming they’ll understand and appreciate your message and style. Doing so means that you are confident about the product you’re selling, and they should be as well.

How strongly can your brand tolerate a healthy dose of irreverence? The answer is different for everyone. But answering that question isn't that difficult. The real challenge is in asking it in the first place.

And, by the way…if you put college students in front of a large cake and tell them they can eat it after the shoot, they smile a lot bigger. And the donors do, too.