When people think about stories in the realm of the communications world, most think journalism. However, I like to believe that stories – good stories – can exist in mediums other than a newspaper in the world of journalism. So, to stay true to my advertising roots, I want to focus on stories being told by the ad world.

I recently read an article from Ad Age whose point was this: it’s not about telling stories; it’s about making them. The article used Coca Cola and their “Share a Coke” campaign as an example of a brand making a story. (You can find that article here: http://adage.com/article/digitalnext/beginning-end-storytelling/294975/). That got me to thinking about other brands that make stories, and for some reason the first thing that came to my mind was Guinness and their “Made of More” campaign.

Guinness is a beer brand. In a product category littered with inebriation, sex appeal, and exotic locations like beaches and sporting events, Guinness had the opportunity to stand out. However, their “Made of More” campaign doesn’t just rock because it stands out in the beer category. It rocks because it’s a campaign that tells a very good story.

 

Mostly everyone is familiar with the commercial of the group of friends who play a game of basketball in wheelchairs. At the end of the ad, the audience finds out that only one of the men is actually handicapped, and his friends were using the wheelchairs so he could play with them. If you haven’t seen this, watch it (Warning: Will Induce Tears). This ad, along with others in this campaign, not only tugs at your heartstrings, but it strongly emulates the core values of Guinness’ brand.

You’ll be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn’t love this ad, and a lot of that stems from the commercial’s emotional and surprise aspects. However, what I love best about this ad is that it tells a story in order to make a story. This entire campaign transformed into the beer brand for people with character. People who think of Guinness will not only think of these stories, but they will also (hopefully) be encouraged to make their own stories after being inspired to be a good person.

In other words, a good story inspires.

A good story tells a story that leads to other stories. It motivates change, evokes new thoughts, and drives action.

Yes, a good story needs to contain that people want to share. It needs to be interesting and relevant and engaging from beginning to end. Well, excuse my French, but no s***. What good is an interesting story if people if it dies out as soon as people finish the last sentence? I believe that it isn’t only about the story itself, but about what comes next. When the story is over; when you close your newspaper or turn off the TV or click the X in your computer screen; what is accomplished?

One of my favorite ad campaigns in the world is The Water Project (http://thewaterproject.org/). They told a story using a strategic combination of emotional appeal and logic, with the underlying point being that a lot of people lack access to clean water. Their story inspired action. It inspired people to donate money. Their story allowed people to get water who otherwise wouldn’t have it. Instead of these people dying, they are alive, and they now have a story to tell.