The Super Bowl is the biggest brand storytelling day of the year. For one day, all the major brands that live and die with seductive imagery, features & benefits, and data & rhetoric suddenly decide to tell a story.

Here are StoryFirst Media’s 5 favorite commercials that aired during the game:

#05: WEATHERTECH “YOU CAN’T DO THAT”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wTJwiPWb6I

MAIN CHARACTER: The WeatherTech Brand

OBJECT OF DESIRE: To make WeatherTech products in the USA.

TURNING POINT: When every expert tells WeatherTech, “You can’t do that.”

This is a phenomenal example of embracing conflict in an advertisement. Putting the obstacles front and center makes WeatherTech’s accomplishment of producing its products in America feel much more valuable. The recurring turning point of “You can’t do that” presents our main character with a dramatic dilemma: either A) listen to the experts and sacrifice your values by manufacturing overseas while saving costs, or B) screw the costs, maintain your integrity and build in the States.

#04. VOLKSWAGON “WINGS”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ns-p0BdUB5o

MAIN CHARACTER: Darcey’s Father

OBJECT OF DESIRE: To convince Darcey that crossing 100,000 miles is a big deal.

TURNING POINT: (for the audience, not the main character) When Darcey’s Father posits that every time a VW crosses 100,000 miles a German engineer gets his wings.

SECOND TURNING POINT: When Darcey sarcastically suggests that after 200,000 miles rainbows fly out of German engineers’ butts.

This spot is especially good because you easily commit the message to memory. What’s interesting about the story structure is that the first turning point is just for the audience. It’s a perfect example of hiding your message in a dramatic turning point. I’ll quickly break down the turning point into its four components:

The Surprise: “What if I told you that every time a Volkswagon hits one-hundred-thousand miles, a German engineer gets his wings.”

Curiosity: Why would German engineers get their wings?

Insight: Ah, so hitting 100,000 miles must not only be important to VW, but judging from how many engineers get their wings later in the spot, it happens a lot!

New Direction: Well, if longevity is important to me in my next car, it’ll be a Volkswagon!

#03. CHEERIOS “GRACIE”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKuQrKeGe6g

MAIN CHARACTER: Gracie’s Father

OBJECT OF DESIRE: To get his daughter’s approval that she will soon have a baby brother.

TURNING POINT: When Gracie says, “… and a puppy.”

SECOND TURNING POINT: When Gracie’s father says, “Deal.”

This is a very cute spot that does a couple of things really well. The first is that it justifies the use of the product as a prop the main character is using to accomplish his goal. The second is that it uses subtext brilliantly in its first turning point. The turning point components:

The Surprise: “… and a puppy.”

Curiosity: Why would she ask for a puppy right as I’m telling her she has a baby brother on the way?

Insight: Ah, she’s hinging her cooperation with the new baby on the condition that I buy her a puppy.

New Direction: Yes, I’ll buy her a puppy because that’s a small price to pay to know my child will cooperate with the new baby.

The second turning point is for Gracie’s mother, who already has her hands full with the pregnancy, but must now contend with a new puppy as well! She didn’t see that coming!

#02. WONDERFUL PISTACHIOS “STEPHEN COLBERT”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MErkYH-FNo

MAIN CHARACTER: Stephen Colbert

OBJECT OF DESIRE: To sell Wonderful Pistachios product.

TURNING POINT: When the pistachios don’t “sell themselves.”

How about this! A turning point that takes place while another commercial is airing! This 30-second spot actually aired in two 15-second segments sandwiching an unrelated commercial, so the setup and payoff was particularly strong because you didn’t expect the ad to come back. The idea was also devastating to the commercial that was aired in between — the Pistachios ad was so strong I can’t remember what it was!

#01. BUDWEISER “PUPPY LOVE”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQB7QRyF4p4

MAIN CHARACTERS: The Puppy & The Clydesdale

OBJECT OF DESIRE: To be together.

TURNING POINT: When the puppy is sold away.

Yes, another list that has this ad as its #1. But seriously, look at how perfectly this ad hits all the archetypal storytelling beats:

Once upon a time there was a puppy and a horse who were best friends. The only problem was that the horse was on a ranch and the puppy was next door at a puppy adoption center (Inciting Incident with a Ticking Clock). The Major Dramatic Question is set: Will the puppy and horse get to be together?

In order to stay together, the pair had to do something (Active Protagonists). Well, the easiest thing they could do was if the puppy escaped to hang out with the horse (Dramatic Decision #1). But when the puppy tries that, the farmer picks him up and returns him to the puppy adoption center (Turning Point #1). So the puppy has another idea: sneak out at night when it’s raining because the farmer won’t be out there (Progressive Complication). But the farmer is there (Turning Point #2) and he returns the puppy once more.

The puppy tried to sneak out as often as it could, until one day the puppy was sold to an ominous figure clad in black clothes and dark shades (because humans don’t trust those whose eyes we can’t see), who doesn’t care enough about the puppy to even look up from his cell phone when we first meet him (Brilliant characterization — and a perfect example of how quickly we sum up a character’s intentions just based on how someone look). You can even see in the look of the woman’s eyes that she isn’t thrilled to be selling the puppy to this slick city guy.

It’s do or die time. The Final Dramatic Decision is in the hands of the clydesdale: does he save the puppy or does he stay where the farmer put him? Well, the horse breaks out of its pen and chases the car down, summoning the other Budweiser Clydesdales to stop the car dead in its tracks.

Now, what happens to the city slicker who dispassionately bought the puppy is left unknown, but presumably the clydesdales killed him. 😉

The puppy proudly returns with the clydesdales and, after witnessing such an amazing spectacle (Turning Point #3), the farmer and the puppy adoption owner decide to let the pair stay together (Final Dramatic Action).

You could teach an entire storytelling class with this commercial, and with over 42 million views on YouTube at the time of this writing, it’s proven to be very effective for the brand as well.

Honorable Mention: JAMIE CASINO, PERSONAL INJURY ATTORNEY

MAIN CHARACTER: Jamie Casino

OBJECT OF DESIRE: To avenge his brother’s death (this is a Super Bowl ad, not a Martin Scorsese film, right?)

TURNING POINT: When Jamie learns that the Savannah Chief of Police told the people of the town that “no innocent people were targeted,” allegedly implying that Jamie’s brother brought about his own demise.

Holy hell. This 2-minute spot for a Savannah, Georgia law practice aired locally during halftime and became an immediate internet sensation. Not only is Jamie bold enough to acknowledge the negative aspects of himself (“I used to be a notorious criminal defense lawyer who was employed by some of the most cold-hearted villains”), but when people asked him why he didn’t just make a standard PSA with him introducing himself and stating clearly into a camera what happened with his brother, Casino replied, “You must tell it in a cinematic way. It makes it more appealing. People like movies and it looks like a movie trailer. How can I tell a story that people will want to watch?”

The post Our 5 Favorite Ads of Super Bowl XLVIII appeared first on StoryFirst Media Website.

Today we will be breaking down a brand story released by Starbucks to promote its new Veranda (blonde) Roast.

First, Watch the Video

This is a great example of brand storytelling. Let’s take it beat by beat.

The Aesthetics

The very first image is a high-contrast black-and-white photograph of a hip twentysomething Starbucks barista at work. Immediately the audience knows what this video is selling, and they are either drawn in by the aesthetic of the black-and-white stills or they aren’t. The chosen style of the photographs over motion video is not for everyone, and Starbucks understands that. This video is not trying to please everybody, and that is one of its strongest assets.

Also, all of the voice-over used in this video is unscripted. As a result, the piece feels authentic, real, and touchable. When you’re dealing with non-professional actors, it is almost always better to go unscripted. Actors are paid lots of money to make scripted words sound off-the-cuff because it is a difficult thing to do, so don’t put that burden on the untrained.

It would seem, based on these aesthetics, that Starbucks saw their audience as somewhat corporate-resistant young people (not just millennials) who see themselves as appreciating the boutique, the specialty, and the hand-crafted product.

Inciting Incident: Starbucks Customers Are Unsatisfied

The first line of voice-over is: “A lot of customers come in and say, you know, I love Starbucks, but your coffee’s too strong for me.”

In the very first line, they are presenting a problem — Starbucks has left “a lot” of customers unfulfilled in the past. This statement is a disarmer for the audience and builds trust. The audience thinks, “Well, if Starbucks is willing to say they haven’t satisfied ‘a lot’ of their customers, they must be telling me the truth, because why would a business make up a negative?” It earns the video a lot of credibility. It also implies a personal, local touch from a major national brand.

Object of Desire: Starbucks Wants to Satisfy These Unsatisfied Customers

After that line of voice-over, the video cuts to a title card that reads: “So we wanted to create a lighter roast for them.”

The main character is identified as “we,” or the Starbucks brand, and the character’s object of desire is stated plainly: “to satisfy customers who want a lighter roast.” The major dramatic question has been presented: “Will Starbucks please its customers?” We, the audience, intrinsically know that this story will end with an answer to that question.

This title card also follows the storytelling principle of “Buts and Therefores”. The sentence only makes sense when taken in context with what came before it. All stories are a series of actions and reactions, causes and effects. It’s what creates the push-pull of story. Where people get into trouble is when they start writing “and then, and then, and then,” instead of “but,” “therefore,” or in this case, “so.”

Presenting the idea of brewing a lighter roast as a reaction to customer complaints (instead of a disconnected thought) tells the audience that a) Starbucks listens to its customers’ criticisms, and b) Starbucks is inclusive and wants everyone to be happy with their product, not just the customers that “get it.” Remember, it is in the main character’s reaction to obstacles that tells us the most about him/her.

Obstacle: The Challenge of Craftsmanship

The next line of voice-over is “Light roast? I mean, this is something that we had never done before.”

Everyone can relate to the fear of the unknown and the struggle to accomplish something new you’ve never done before. In order for our main character (Starbucks) to get its object of desire (satisfy the unsatisfied customers), they will have to jump into the deep end of the pool and sink or swim.

Progressive Complication: 80 Tries

Immediately following the voice-over, we are presented with a montage of title cards that read, “Ver. 1,” “Ver. 2,” “Ver. 3,” and so on.

Seeing these titles intercut with more photographs of coffee roasting tells us that Starbucks has begun the process of crafting the lighter roast. This is the most cinematic aspect of the video in that it plays on the montage theory pioneered by Russian filmmakers Lev Kuleshov and V.I. Pudovkin in the 1920s — two unrelated images (a photograph of a man sipping coffee and a title card that reads “Ver. 1”), when cut together, create a third idea in the mind of the audience (“They are testing new product”).

Film is psychological magic.

The next line of voice-over: “When we were developing blonde roast, it was crazy. It was the whole coffee team in there roasting different kinds of coffees. Tasting all the flavors again and again.”

So, our main character’s effort to satisfy the unsatisfied customers is not easy. This is where what’s good for business storytelling and what’s good for business in real life diverge a bit. No doubt, Starbucks would’ve loved to nail it on their first try — it would’ve saved them time and money. But the fact that it didn’t come easy is fantastic for the story. In storytelling, everything moves forward through conflict.

More title cards flash across the screen: “Ver. 47,” “Ver. 48,”…

More voice-over: “One minute we knew we had it, or we thought we had it, then the next minute were like, ‘Ah… I don’t know if this is actually right.’ We had to make sure it was perfect.”

I’m impressed that Starbucks was willing to imply so much struggle in their story, because this is not a comfortable thing for a business to do. Most companies are afraid to show challenges, problems or struggles because they perceive it as a risk to their brand image. But Starbucks, with guidance from the agency that produced this video, understood that every story needs an underdog. The end product may be “perfect,” but nobody relates to easily-acquired perfection.

With each new version of the roast, “Ver. 50,” “Ver. 51,” the dramatic stakes are rising. More money is being spent. More time is being invested. The audience interprets, “Boy, Starbucks must really care about this thing they’re making!”

Voice-over: “… and that took 80 tries.”

Turning Point: Success

The final bit of voice-over “Holy cow. This is really light. This is really good! With blonde roast, we have something for everybody.”

The initial setup of the object of desire, “we wanted to create a lighter roast for them,” is paid off directly with “we have something for everybody.” The major dramatic question has been answered, the narrative arc has been closed. Our main character (the Starbucks brand) has achieved success.

If StoryFirst Media had produced this spot, here is where we might have made one adjustment.

Instead of just cutting from “that took 80 tries” to the success of developing the perfect light roast, it may have been better to include the final dramatic decision that brought about the success. After 79 versions of the roast, what was the last thing that pushed it over the edge from good to great? What was the dilemma? Were they about to give up until someone had the perfect idea? Were there two (or more) perfect ideas that had to be pit against each other?

Including a final dramatic decision or action is what really creates the turning point. As it stands in the finished video, the decision to develop 80 different roasts effectively doubles as the progressive complication and final dramatic action, so it certainly works. The choice to not include a final dramatic action may have been made in the interest of time (the video’s total run time is 1 minute, 2 seconds), and that would be understandable. It would be difficult for every business story to include every storytelling element, and this one certainly does more than the vast majority.

The Lasting Impact on the Audience

Now that Starbucks has told a complete brand story to promote its Veranda (blonde) Roast, the audience can now see themselves in the story and tell their own version to others. With this story, Starbucks has fostered an environment for customer loyalty and word-of-mouth. One can easily imagine the conversation among friends.

“I can’t drink Starbucks. Too strong for me.”

“Yeah? Have you tried their new blonde roast? I heard it took them 80 tries to get it right.”

In an age of increased digital connectedness at the expense of real-world interaction, people everywhere are drawn to the specialty, hand-made product — a product that was made with all the care and humanity of the development team. Just like the pleasure of a handwritten letter, Starbucks Veranda Roast took time, thought, and effort to craft.

Starbucks was smart enough to mold that message into a story instead of just a “video,” and their audience will carry the story with them.

The post Great Brand Stories, Vol. I : Starbucks appeared first on StoryFirst Media Website.

StoryFirst Media was founded in Wisconsin, and as such, we are Green Bay Packers fans (another clue would be our 2012 award-winning documentary Last Day at Lambeau).

This past Sunday, the Packers completed the biggest comeback for a win in their illustrious 94 year history.

The game was against the Dallas Cowboys, and the Packers’ season was on the line. In all likelihood, the team would have to win all of their remaining games in order to make the playoffs.

The problems: their all pro quarterback was out with an injury, their defense was a sieve, and the Cowboys had their playoff future to play for as well.

At halftime, the Cowboys led 26-3.

The stakes were incredibly high. In the locker room, head coach Mike McCarthy told the team that they were facing “the biggest adversity situation that we’ve been in in our time together” and that “our season’s on the line.”

To keep a long story short, the Packers came back out in the second half and rallied to a magical 37-36 victory.

Needless to say, my dad and I were jumping up and down and high-fiving like mad. It was an incredible amount of emotion, and despite all the problems we saw in our favorite team in the first half, some small part of us actually started to believe they could go on a playoff run.

Why was this game so emotional for us? Because we knew how hard/unlikely it was for the team to come back and win!

So where is the brand storytelling lesson? Here it is:

In the story of your brand/product/service, showing how you went down 26-3 in the first half is every bit as important as showing how you rallied for the second half comeback.

The amount of positive emotion we feel is directly proportional to the amount of negative emotion we feel. To face overwhelming adversity and succeed in the end inspires us to believe that any hardship can be overcome.

In football, when your favorite team destroys opposing teams without much of a struggle, it can actually be kind of boring. There’s no jumping up and down, there’s no sitting on the edge of your seat, and there’s no yelling at the top of your lungs. Those games have no stakes, no suspense, and they go down easy by the fourth quarter.

If you’re selling a product, your amazing new feature means nothing until you show me the problem the world faces without that feature (even better – show me the hardships your R&D department faced while developing the feature. If you struggled and had to invest a lot of time and resources into the project, it means it must be pretty important).

Showing your audience how hard it was for you to accomplish your goal, build your product or develop your service teaches them that you have the drive and ability to overcome any challenge. Dramatically speaking, the steeper you can make that mountain you had to climb, the better.

All stories are metaphors. Stories say “life is like this.” Stories live in our hearts forever because they allow us to make sense of our challenges, to feel we are not alone, and to believe that anything is possible.

But you’re only telling a story when you invite your audience to traverse your challenges with you and feel a part of the struggle to bring your product/service to the world.

Because after all, if it wasn’t hard to achieve, it must not be worth much. Show us how hard it was to achieve your goals and you will become a better storyteller for your brand and your life.

The post A Brand Storytelling Lesson from the NFL appeared first on StoryFirst Media Website.

However telling stories via video is what we do at StoryFirst, and you’d probably expect us to say that. So, to support our story of “the power of web video” – here are ten top statistics from research findings of recent industry studies. We think you’ll agree that these statistics make quite a compelling case for web video to tell your stories!

1. “Brands using online video have seen lifts of 20% to 40% in terms of incremental buying, with conversions that are twice the rate of other media.” (1)
2. 21% of retail web video viewers make a purchase online. (1)
3. 26% of retail web video viewers visit a store. (2)
4. 21% of retail web video viewers request more information. (1)
5. Video landing pages generate four to seven times higher engagement and response rates than static image and text landing pages. (3)
6. Well-optimized video is fifty-three times more likely than text to appear on the front page of Google. (4)
7. 68% of the top 50 Internet retailers use web video. (5)
8. 71% of Internet users watch video. (1)
9. 65% of all videos are viewed between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday. (1)
10. 33% of middle managers under 50 view work-related videos every day. (1)

SOURCES:
(1) Chris Crafton, CMO, eCorpTV.com, reported by Target Marketing at a Philadelphia
Direct Marketing Association networking and breakfast meeting.
(2) BIA/Kelsey User View study data, February 2010, reported by Turnhere.com.
(3) SearchEngineWatch, February 2010.
(4) Forrester Research, January 2010.
(5) Internet Retailer, July 2010.

What are your experiences with using video on your website and to tell your stories? Please share with us!
And, if you’d like to talk further about how web video can help you or your organization in Madison, give us a call – In Madison, WI 608-576-0174 or Austin, TX 512-782-9992.