It’s a tale as old as time. You pour time and money into a brand campaign only to have it fall on its face. You’ve run the numbers and simply aren’t gaining the results you’re looking for. There’s something missing.

That spark you’re missing? It’s the story. The drama, the conflict, and the happy ending too.

There are real, concrete benefits to using storytelling tactics in marketing, particularly when it comes to creative and video content. Today we’ll look into the pixie dust magic that will take your campaign from boring to soaring, by introducing five brands that have successfully embraced the narrative.

 

 

Wake the Sleeping Beauty (And Give Her Some Coffee)

The first challenge of any campaign is gaining attention. With over-saturation of mainstream media, customers are numb to the constant and familiar stream of pop-up ads and social posts.

Does that mean these kinds of campaigns can’t be successful? Of course not! But you stand a better chance of standing out with something unique. Much as true love’s kiss wakes the sleeping princess, having a campaign narrative could be just the thing to pique interest. Time to say goodbye to sleeping beauties and give your audience something worth waking up for.

A great example of a brand campaign backed by a compelling narrative is the Darling Downs Rabbit Campaign. If you’ve crossed the state border, there’s a good chance you’ve seen one of their billboards. It only takes a glance to know there is a story behind these ruthless mafia rabbits.

Being able to distill this campaign’s narrative into a single-frame billboard is a perfect example of how attention-grabbing characters can be- and how narratives don’t need to be limited by the dimensions of their channel output. But this campaign takes it further with an explainer video as entertaining as it is informative.

It helps that it comes with a happy ending for all (especially the client).

 

 

A Good Story Gets Told (And Re-told, and Re-told…)

Of course, it is not enough to be attention-grabbing. Good marketing is targeted, directed at a specific demographic. With clever marketing, you can turn this niche group into your own promotional army. All the campaigning in the world will only get you so far- for the rest, there’s gossip!

Take advantage of a digital age catered towards sharing content. Do this by giving your first contact consumers a reason to spread the word. And like a well-told joke, an entertaining story will be repeated unto eternity.

Remember that meme-able is memorable (especially for younger demographics), and that statistics will never travel as far as a good one-liner.

For this example, I’ll use an old Aussie favourite- Moretein. Who doesn’t remember this ad? Each video followed a formula, and it was one that worked a treat. Louie the Fly had a plan to spoil the day, and Moretein (usually wielded by Mum), saved it every time. It’s a tale that harkens back to the Looney Toon days of Wile E. Coyote.

This campaign was so memorable that people still quote the jingle years later. For Moretein, that’s fully worth the cheesy set-ups.

 

 

All The World’s A Stage (And We Love the Drama)

Now by this point you might be wondering if this is relevant to your business. For some, the idea of crafting a narrative for their product might seem difficult, especially if that product is used in medical or technical fields.

But it is these fields especially that are at risk of losing consumer attention. The information for these products is often dry and technical, so if you want your audience to absorb it, then your best chance is to include a story-line to spruce things up.

Whether your target audience are the no-nonsense type or cartoon lovers, one thing is true of all human beings; we love stories. Despite differences in taste all of us, in some way or other, enjoy a good tale. Something about a narrative just scratches an itch in that monkey brain of ours.

The good news is that said narrative does not have to be elaborate, and it certainly doesn’t need to be animated. A lovely example of this comes from German pharmaceutical company DocMorris, an ad featuring a weight-lifting grandpa that is guaranteed to warm your heart.

Grab some tissues because this one is a tear-jerker. But with over 10 million views on YouTube alone, it is case in point of how wide-reaching marketing of this kind can be.

 

 

Great Stories Inspire (And Inspired People Buy)

Of course, there are downsides to being so visible. In this day and age, there are a lot of expectations on companies to establish a moral code (and do it loudly). People want to know the causes you support, until every move becomes a sliding scale between disingenuous and overly political.

Storytelling is the natural solution for this. It gives space to create a marketing piece that is moving and supports an idea that resonates with your brand. That forethought, and the attention that goes into the final product, is widely appreciated by consumers.

The constant bombardment of bad news is exhausting. Be the spark of hope, the shred of good news, and people will flock to it.

Take for instance the 2021 Chobani ad titled ‘Dear Alice.’ The combination of narrative, world building and stunning graphics immediately immerse the viewer, welcoming them into a story of optimism that is sure to inspire.

Experience the vibrant green future dreamed up by the Chobani brand and you’ll believe that we can build it together. I’m not even that fond of yoghurt, but for marketing like this I will convert!

 

 

Every Story Needs a Hero (And That Hero Is You!)

You want to get the buyer on your side. But converting the everyman from side character to sidekick is not nearly as straightforward as it sounds.

But as the saying goes, ‘the enemy of my enemy is my friend.’ So… create an enemy.

Uniting against a common antagonist is a sure-fire way to win over your audience. There’s a reason that in design we refer to crucial brand elements as ‘hero’ assets; they’re the colours of your super suit!

This concocted villain doesn’t need to be a brand competitor- in fact, it shouldn’t be! But it should be something easily identifiable to your audience. Think back to the previous example of Mortein. It doesn’t take a lot to establish a group of invading bugs as the bad guys of their campaign.

A personal favourite of this idea is, bizarrely, a shampoo ad. ‘The Chase’ is a riveting tale of cat and mouse, placing the viewer on the side of an escaping thief. Time and time again we witness this rogue character narrowly escape the clutches of his pursuers.

It is the perfect example of an attention-grabbing narrative; fast paced and action driven, with a great sense of humour. In just sixty seconds, it has you cheering for the sight of that shampoo bottle. Make no mistake- although it’s the character that entertains us, Head & Shoulders is the one that saves the day.

Not all heroes wear capes, but this shampoo bottle does.

 

 

Stories have a powerful effect on the people that hear them. They have been used to teach lessons, share joy and yes, to sell products and services. So, if a dash of Disney is enough to spruce up your campaign, then don the mouse ears and don’t look back.

Say goodbye to lacklustre marketing and make your campaign one that resonates. Entertain. Inspire. Get people talking. Now that you know the secret benefits of a narrative base, you can wield that knowledge like a sword.

So, take up your weapon! Slay the dragon! And give your campaign the happy ending it deserves.