A lot of people talk about the importance of brand storytelling, so we figured it would be best to show you some examples that we think excel.
Here are 5 examples of brilliant brand storytelling.
Dell Technologies’ Let’s Make it Real
To tell their story about Artificial Intelligence, Dell Technologies used Jeffrey Wright to promote their AI-powered technology. Jeffrey Wright plays a prominent character on HBO’s Westworld, a show about a technologically advanced wild west-themed amusement park and the employees (and guests) there.
The show’s popularity already gave viewers the needed context, allowing Dell to rely on a concise script and on-brand imagery. This made Jeffrey Wright (or Bernard) the PERFECT messenger for their story!
Those who have watched the show may find an even stronger connection, again, making this a genius collaboration project.
Aflac’s What the Duck?
Everyone knows Aflac because of a duck originally voiced by none other than Gilbert Godfried. What made their storytelling efforts so good was that every (not most, but every) ad had the same formula. Their ads would include someone telling a friend about the benefits of Aflac, always followed by the duck yelling the name. So the ads would:
- Include relatable people
- Script a clever (and subtle) sales pitch
- Finish with a funny and memorable brand mascot yelling “Aflac” loud enough for everyone to hear
Put it all together and you get a relevant, humorous message with enough repetition that makes it familiar, without being annoying.
Geico’s It’s Not Surprising
We all know the famous tagline “15 minutes can save you 15% or more on car insurance”.
Geico simplified this message even more.
This campaign featured a collection of “surprising” ads that all led to the same conclusion, that people can save by switching to Geico. Each ad was weird enough to grab people’s attention, yet concise enough to convey their message. So regardless of how wacky the creative was, it always fit perfectly in the formula.
This was the formula.
#1 An obscure, attention-grabbing scene
#2 Narrator summarizes the scene as “surprising”
#3 Scene cuts to a customer who saved money by switching to Geico
Classic.
Harry’s Angered Big Razor
The story of Harry’s is simple.
Two brothers were sick of overpaying for razors, so they started their own company to compete with “the big guys”. After designing a simple, but effective razor, they purchased a warehouse in Germany to start manufacturing.
By investing in practicality, they were able to sell razors for less.
This story is genius for a number of reasons!
#1 Everyone was aware of how expensive razors are
#2 They portrayed themselves as the “underdogs” (which people like)
#3 Harry’s branding is VERY relatable (for people who just want a decent razor)
#4 They offered a solution to a very common problem
Harry’s story managed to help position them as an affordable alternative to the greedy corporation.
There was even a threat of a lawsuit!
The relatable (and commendable) story helped to establish trust to an audience who did not trust their current razor providers.
I guess you can say Harry’s went “against the grain”. Which brings us to….
Dove’s Real Beauty Campaign
The world of beauty is filled with unrealistic expectations, so Dove took the proactive approach that helped start a movement. Dove’s story involved the use of more relatable women, which stood out in an industry filled with size 00 models.
The message was clear – Dove wanted to represent “real” women.
Dove’s first ad of the campaign demonstrated how featured models were digitally enhanced to the point that they no longer looked like themselves.
This was intentional.
The digital enhancement of models created unrealistic expectations for women. Never able to match up to the digitally constructed models, women would buy more clothes and makeup. This helped the beauty and fashion industries sell a “solution” to an unattainable standard.
Then Dove came along.
The result? An audience that felt accepted and welcomed.
This video went viral, raising awareness about the unrealistic expectations of beauty portrayed in the media and its effects on young women.
Then they took it a step forward with “Dove Real Beauty Sketches”, which featured an artist composing two sketches of various women.
One was based on the women’s self-descriptions, and the other on how others described them.
The sketches made from the 3rd-party descriptions looked MUCH better, making the point that women lacked confidence in their own real beauty.
Dove’s goal was to inspire confidence and offer women a brand that represented acceptance.
Dove uses models of all shapes, sizes, ages, and ethnicities to represent EVERYONE, relating to more women.
This was GENIUS for a household brand!
Brands from all over the world are using more relatable models, but Dove was the pioneer!
For each of these examples, we see a brand making a statement that shaped their future.
Telling your brand’s story is a challenging task. Luckily, we’re here to help! If you’re thinking about taking your brand to the next level, contact us here or call (800)978-3417.
