Why are ads getting longer in a time when we are used to skipping an advertisement in five seconds?
Hyundai‘s 20th-anniversary ad was almost five minutes long but has over 220 million views on YouTube. Nike’s ‘You Can’t Stop Us‘ and ‘Dream Crazier‘ ads were both a minute and 31 seconds long.
A study conducted in 2020 found that ads that narrated a story showed positive emotional responses in the participants and also made them more inclined to share details about the ads with their peers. This establishes that the use of storytelling in advertising is impactful in having people attach good feelings with the brand and spreading information through word of mouth.
The Importance of Storytelling in Marketing
Humans have always told stories. Stories are what fundamentally differentiates us from animals; to form connections and share fantasies is to be human.
The bases of society are simple stories told from generations past, it is an essential part of cognitive, emotional and social development. Brands can use this to their advantage by creating meaningful connections with the consumers.
“The human species thinks in metaphors and learns through stories.”
– Mary Catherine Bateson
Marketing is about selling an experience, not a product or service. Companies need to show the consumer what is missing from their life; what they can become with your product.
A story makes the brand’s message more impactful and memorable. Storytelling is a way to make the audience care about the brand; it triggers feelings in them and as such creates a humanized image of the brand.
But how can a brand make compelling stories?
A good place to start is to use tried and true literary methods that can provide a structure. The “Hero’s Journey” is a literary tool that has been found to be a major model that is present in literary classics and pop-culture dominators.
What is the “Hero’s Journey?”
The “Hero’s Journey” was popularized by Joseph Campbell in his 1949 book, “The Hero with a Thousand Faces,” as the mono myth.
For his research, he studied the myths and folklore of all the cultures he could find and conclusively decided that all of them share the same format of a story. He also discovered that the mono myth’s format is based on psychological concepts.
It’s no wonder that he was engrossed in the inner workings of the human mind, he was an avid reader of Carl Jung’s work and a contemporary of Sigmund Freud, as was stated in an interview with Jonathan Young, the founding curator of Joseph Campbell archives and library.
According to Young, apart from psychology, Campbell’s work included cosmology, the metaphysical and sociology. He wanted to create a framework that can be recognized as a rule in which all stories in the history of humanity and upcoming can be fit and analysed.
However, when it comes to literature, there is no ‘one size that fits all.’ What Campbell did succeed in, was providing us with a literary tool, which proved useful in understanding and creating stories.
Campbell’s original structure had 17 stages, getting oddly specific in a way that reduced its usability as a rule of literature. Many have since tried to revise his formula to create a perfect version.
In 2007, Christopher Vogler declared his own framework with 12 stages. It still can be excessive but it is more refined and modern.
Despite having multiple stages throughout all the original and the revisions, “Hero’s Journey” can be divided into three main components:
- Departure – a step from the ordinary world towards adventure.
- Initiation – the hero has to travel to the unknown and face quests or trials to earn their reward.
- Return – a triumphant return to the ordinary world in which the reward is used to gain benefits.
How the “Hero’s Journey” is used in Marketing?
Creating a brand story is not easy. It needs to create an impact and be remembered by the audience. It needs to deliver a memorable message accurately with a clear meaning.
This is where “Hero’s Journey” comes to play. It provides a framework from which a story can be created that will be engaging and memorable. The general framework can be adapted to fit the story. Christopher Vogler was the last one to refine the literary tool in an acceptable manner, using the most relevant of his 12 stages, one can make an effecting story for marketing.
Departure
Ordinary World – The “ordinary world” is the present situation of the consumer or the hero. In this stage, there is a requirement to show something that is lacking from the hero’s life. The audience is also introduced to the setting, background and context.
Call to Adventure – The adventure is revealed to the hero. The longing or lack of something that was bothering the hero in the ordinary world becomes a challenge and gives the hero a goal to work towards.
Meeting with the Mentor – This is the stage where the product or service which is being marketed is introduced as a guiding spirit that will help the hero. The product will become what ultimately helps the hero reach their goal.
Initiation
Tests, Trials, and Enemies – In this stage, the hero will rise to the challenges and face the enemies that stand between them and their goals. The hero must realize who their allies are, which here can be the brand.
The Ordeal – The most stressful part of the journey is at this stage. This is the climax. The hero faces their challenges and fears, coming out victorious.
The Reward – The final desired outcome is attained. The hero of the story has fulfilled their goal. The reward is the promise of the product; an idea to change their lives.
Return
Return with the elixir – Hero returns to the ordinary world with the reward. The brand now has a chance to show how its product can deliver on its promises and aid the hero in their daily life.
Decoding Advertisements
The center of attention should be on making consumers the hero of the story. Market to them their own possible futures which the consumer can get with the help of the advertised product. Identify a desirable outcome and present that possibility to the audience.
Think of Levi’s – Circles. The ad opens with someone turning on music as the ordinary world fades into the background. The adventure begins, and heroes from across different cultures and identities face the intimidating dance circles and decide to step in. The signature denim is in focus as those who joined the circles make allies with the dancers around them. For a second it feels as if the music has stopped but it continues while people rise to the challenge with calming breaths. Levi’s here offers the people a jubilant life by inviting them to “live in Levi’s.”
Coca-cola’s Christmas commercial is a heartwarming example of a hero’s journey. The ad begins with a daughter handing her father a letter to deliver to Santa Claus as he leaves to travel. The father seems to have forgotten about the letter till he discovers it beneath a coco-cola bottle, which in turn becomes a guiding spirit that directs the father to post it. The adventure is set in motion when the father spots a shipping vehicle but is unable to get to it. He then gets lost in the middle of the sea, climbs mountains and crosses difficult terrain to reach Santa’s house on the north pole, only to find it closed. A red coco-cola truck arrives and takes the dad back to his daughter. When he reaches his house, he opens the envelope to find that his daughter had wished to have him home for Christmas. It is then revealed that Santa Claus was driving the truck. The reward was the knowledge of his daughter’s love for him with which he returned home.
Key Takeaway
Stories are universal, and the Hero’s Journey is ingrained in our psyche. The same stories that were told to unite people thousands of years ago, are still being told today, because they work.
Written by Osheen Jain
Edited by Suranjan Das
| Osheen is a passionate student of psychology who works as a freelance content writer for PrimalWoke. Her interests include modern poetry, enjoying all forms of art, and being an obsessive bibliophile. Osheen has also been a TEDx speaker and you can find her on LinkedIn.