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.
There are real, concrete benefits to using storytelling tactics in marketing, particularly when it comes to creative and video content.
For starters, information is more memorable when told in a story format. Oral history stretches centuries further than anything you’ll find in a textbook, and where statistics fall flat, a good story will stick in consumers’ heads like a song on loop.
With studies to prove it, it’s no wonder that marketing has become its own publishing game. But what is it about a narrative that makes a campaign more appealing?
Today we’ll look into the magic that will take your campaign from boring to soaring, by introducing five reasons to embrace the narrative.
The first challenge of any campaign is gaining attention. With the over-saturation of 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 cutting through the noise with something unique. Having a campaign narrative could be just the thing to pique interest. It’s time to say goodbye to sleeping beauties and give your audience something worth waking up for.
A great example of brand campaigns 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.
The way our animation team distilled this campaign’s narrative into a single-frame billboard is a perfect example of how powerful characters can be and how the narrative doesn’t need to be limited to one channel. 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).
Of course, it’s not enough to be attention-grabbing. Good marketing is targeted and directed at specific demographics, interests, and more. With clever marketing, you can turn a niche group into your own promotional army.
Take advantage of a digital age catered towards sharing content by giving your first contact consumers a reason to spread the word. And like a well-told joke, an entertaining story will be repeated.
For this example, I’ll use an old Aussie favourite—Mortein. Who doesn’t remember this ad? Each video followed a formula, and it worked a treat. Louie the Fly had a plan to spoil the day, and Mortein (usually wielded by Mum), saved it every time. It’s a tale that harks back to the Looney Toon days of Wile E. Coyote.
This campaign was so memorable that people still quote the jingle years later. For Mortein, that’s fully worth the cheesy set-ups.
Krome Studios is another company that knows exactly how to captivate their target audience. As the makers of the beloved Australian video games, TY the Tasmanian Tiger, they knew that to re-engage their audience, they would need to focus on two things: nostalgia and freshness.
These ideas might seem contradicting, but Krome has managed to capture both with their newest campaign, Travel with Shazza. With the help of our animation team, fans got to see their beloved favourite characters in familiar settings from the game. We brought new stories and dialogue to the table, providing a fresh twist to what they already knew.
That combination of familiarity and new content created quite a buzz on all social platforms these videos were released on. After only three months, the first video has nearly 90 thousand views on YouTube alone. And viewers have done as any active fan-base is prone to do and shared the content amongst themselves. Krome isn’t just creating games—they’re playing the marketing game.
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 can seem difficult, especially if that product is used in medical or technical fields.
But it’s 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 storyline 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 your narrative doesn’t have to be elaborate, and it certainly doesn’t need to be animated. A great example of this comes from German pharmaceutical company DocMorris and their ad featuring a weight-lifting grandpa that’s guaranteed to warm your heart.
Grab some tissues because this one is a tear-jerker. With over 10 million views on YouTube alone, it’s a case in point of how wide-reaching marketing like this can be.
Another example of a high-profile company nailing the use of storytelling, is Flight Centre. In 2022, this goliath travel company needed to reach their entire employee base for a company-wide transformation strategy. And with over 12 000 employees, that’s a lot of people to reach out to in one go. So how did they approach this?
They came to Ravel for help developing creative videos following a family and a couple on their Flight Centre experience. Both videos are bright, heart-warming, and drive home the idea that Flight Centre is there every step of the way. Whether you relate more to the stress of young parents, or the desire to travel with your partner, you’ll be able to slip into the role of these characters and join them on their journey.
A travel company that can take you on a journey without even leaving your house? Now that’s impressive.
Of course, there are downsides to being so visible. 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.
Statistics aren’t enough in this case. In fact, studies show that customers choose the brands they engage with purely on emotion, not facts. So if statistics are out, how do you convince an audience your brand is for them?
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 inspiring optimism.
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!
Impactful as this type of idealism is, it’s certainly not required. Set your sights smaller and find the type of narrative that suits your campaign.
Another way to inspire is through an idol story. Having a face to your brand is a great way to help consumers identify with your product, even more so if there’s a story behind the name.
Let’s look at Digicel’s ‘Better Connected’ brand refresh as an example. As part of this refresh, our videography team crafted a story with the fastest man on Earth, Usain Bolt. This TVC shows how a narrative doesn’t always need be fantastical. The campaign is grounded and personal, taking viewers on a racing journey with Bolt that is as relatable as it is awe-inspiring.
The benefit of narratives like these is that they inspire greatness in the everyday. Hearing Bolt describe his determination puts him firmly in the hero role of his own story and invites everyone listening to face their own challenges… with the help of high-speed reliable internet, of course.
Remember that people don’t just tell stories—they are stories! So, if the face of your campaign has a good one to share, then don’t keep it under wraps. It might just be a bestseller.
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 surefire 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. 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. 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.
18 January 2024