A man in a suit holding a bouquet of tulips in one hand and a Minitel in the other, with a large table and red chairs in the background, featuring the title “For society”.

In the footsteps of Brainstorming

Édouard Chamblay is writing his sociology thesis on creativity in the workplace. While pursuing his investigation through fieldwork in the United States, particularly on the foundations of brainstorming, he came across the footsteps of a certain Marcel Chapotin.

Brainstorming survey

In Search of Brainstorming

Reading time: 4 min | Publication date: 01/10/23 | Édouard Chamblay* is writing a sociology dissertation on creativity in the workplace. While conducting field research in the United States—specifically on the origins of brainstorming—he stumbled upon the legacy of a certain Marcel Chapotin.

Any initial insights to share?

In my thesis, I’m interested in the spread of creativity methods. I trace them back to their origins, document where they’re used, and identify the audiences they’re intended for. The first lesson from this research is that the methods marketed today as disruptive differ very little from what was already around in the 1950s. We change their names, come up with some catchy marketing, and—poof—we have a brand-new method! Conversely, there’s a method that’s been stripped of its meaning and foundations until it’s become a generic term: “brainstorming.” These days, everyone knows and uses this word without necessarily knowing the rules behind it.

What did you find out about brainstorming?

At the University of Buffalo, I dug through the archives of the inventor of brainstorming. Alex Osborn, an American advertising executive and founder of the BBDO agency, had hidden a real treasure in his dusty boxes. There I found drafts outlining the formalization of brainstorming and the first session reports from the 1950s.

Anything that caught your attention?

I came across a file containing French newspaper clippings, as well as correspondence between the inventor of brainstorming and French advertising executives. My attention was drawn to a certain Marcel Chapotin, who was among the first to introduce the method in France. In 1958, for example, he led a “parish brainstorming” session at the church in Neuilly-sur-Seine. The problem is, he left almost no trace of himself!

Did you try to find out more about Marcel Chapotin?

When I returned to France, I conducted my investigation. I visited the parish in Neuilly, browsed amateur historical blogs online, and even went into a building searching for Marcel Chapotin’s heirs… Piece by piece, I managed to interview two men who knew him well. Today, my thesis recounts the anecdotal journey of this anonymous figure within the broader history of creativity.