Earlier than turning into a marketer, I used to be a journalist who liked the chance to inform tales about my group and share views that may in any other case go unnoticed.
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After I left the journalism enterprise, I believed my storytelling days have been over; nevertheless, visible storytelling is crucial within the advertising world.
Visible storytelling permits manufacturers to attach with audiences on an emotional and private degree by sharing tales accompanied by beautiful imagery.
So, hold studying to learn to incorporate visible storytelling into your advertising marketing campaign. I‘ve included a few of my favourite examples to assist encourage you. Let’s go!
Desk of Contents
What’s visible storytelling?
Visible storytelling entails utilizing visible components to boost or inform a narrative. These components might be video, photographs, graphics—any media that generates visible curiosity. Considered one of my favourite examples of visible storytelling comes from Airbnb.
The corporate, which focuses on quick—and long-term homestays, posted a video on its YouTube channel telling the story of a displaced household that acquired a contemporary begin by securing non permanent housing by way of Airbnb.
The YouTube video interweaves interviews with the household with b-roll footage of their each day lives, former dwelling, and the pure catastrophe that modified their lives endlessly.
The story tugs at my coronary heart, and the wealthy imagery and considerate edits improve it. All whereas advertising Airbnb as extra than simply a substitute for accommodations; it’s an possibility for individuals who want non permanent shelter.
Why is visible storytelling vital?
Visible storytelling can construct an genuine, emotional connection between your model and its viewers, resulting in loyal shoppers who’re invested in your story, merchandise, and providers. Let’s return to my Airbnb instance.
Customers may even see this heartwarming story of how Airbnb helped a household in want and will resolve to e book their subsequent trip stick with Airbnb not simply due to its providers however as a result of they need to hold the enterprise thriving to allow them to assist different households.
Visible storytelling can even construct model recognition that may final for years to come back. My favourite instance of lifelong model recognition is Daybreak Dish Cleaning soap’s “The Huge Image” docuseries—which I will discover extra in-depth later.
Components of Visible Storytelling
So what components do you have to flawlessly execute visible storytelling in your marketing campaign? Properly, let’s begin with the plain —the visuals and story.
Visuals
Whether or not you are telling a narrative by way of graphics, photographs, or video, compelling imagery is important to bringing your story to life. A few of my favourite examples of attractive visuals come from the Sydney Opera Home.
The world-famous opera home quickly closed its doorways in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, and for the primary time in years, the venue was empty of holiday makers and performers.
Throughout this time, the opera home underwent repairs and updates, and a neighborhood photographer, Daniel Boud, was invited inside.
Boud took attractive photographs of an unusually empty Sydney Opera Home, a web site most individuals might by no means see once more.
The photographs conveyed a way of nostalgia for the various performances which have taken place on the decades-old opera home.
In addition they advised a narrative of unease and melancholy, reflecting the wave of uncertainty that swept the world of reside efficiency firstly of the pandemic as many venues closed their doorways (some for good).
Photographs of building staff updating the opera home additionally mirrored a glimmer of hope for the long run as they spruced up the venue for future performances regardless of not realizing after they’d ever occur.
Story
In fact, you will need to consider the story you are making an attempt to inform earlier than you possibly can even get your visuals collectively.
The Sydney Opera Home needed Boud to inform the story of how one of the vital full of life and loud locations on the planet stood silent and empty however nonetheless confirmed hope for the way forward for its livelihood and that of the efficiency artwork trade.
What story do you need to convey to your viewers? Maybe you need to share how your model got here to be or how your group has made a distinction in the area people.
Maybe your model has skilled some dangerous press, and also you need to present the way you‘ve turned issues round and massively improved your services or products, like Domino’s Pizza.
Years in the past, the corporate acquired backlash for the standard of its pizza and was the butt of many jokes.
Within the video under, Domino’s makes use of interviews, a b-roll, real client reactions, and a peek behind the kitchen to indicate that the corporate is utilizing a brand new recipe and that customers can now get pleasure from their newly improved scrumptious pizza.
Feelings
Your visible story should make your viewers really feel one thing that generates an emotional connection. As I stated earlier, the photographs of an empty Sydney Opera Home made viewers uneasy.
How might such a powerhouse grow to be so desolate? How might issues change so instantly?
The photographs additionally conveyed isolation from artists, the performing arts group, and the world.
These emotions fostered an emotional reference to viewers as a result of they have been the identical emotions that folks felt worldwide because the pandemic pressured many to remain indoors and keep away from gatherings with family members.
Take into consideration a problem your viewers is experiencing and discover a strategy to inform a narrative that illustrates their emotions and exhibits that, above all, you perceive them.
Authenticity
No matter story you‘re making an attempt to inform wants to come back from a real place. What’s an actual drawback that your viewers typically experiences? How are you going to visually present that your model gives an actual answer?
What’s the true story of how your model got here to be? Can actual clients supply testimonials of how your services or products helped them?
The Sydney Opera Home really did shut down quickly in the course of the pandemic, and the photographs taken throughout its time of silence have been actual and never staged. So, for lack of higher phrases, hold it actual relating to visible storytelling.
Goal
Lastly, what would you like your viewers to do after discovering your story? On the finish of its articles that includes Boud’s pictures, the Sydney Opera Home included a hyperlink calling for viewers to donate.
The photographs have been taken to indicate viewers that the opera home’s doorways have been closed however would reopen with an entire new look; within the meantime, donate to maintain the efficiency arts iconic beacon alive!
Domino‘s Pizza needed its target market to know that it acquired their suggestions and made optimistic adjustments to its recipe, in order that they’re prepared for a second likelihood to impress.
What is the function of your story?
The way to Use Visible Storytelling for Advertising and marketing
The examples under gives you perception into how you should utilize visible storytelling in your advertising technique, off the highest of my head, I do know you should utilize the idea in advertising to:
- Share your mission and imaginative and prescient together with your viewers
- Mirror on optimistic adjustments coming to your model
- Present various makes use of in your product and providers
- Present the place your model stands on vital points regarding your target market
To encourage you, I‘ve compiled an inventory of my favourite examples of visible storytelling, each previous and new. Let’s dive in!
Visible Storytelling Examples
1. Daybreak Dish Cleaning soap – “The Huge Image”
I advised you I might revisit this instance! This marketing campaign is an oldie however a goodie as a result of it stays a core a part of Daybreak’s branding to this very day.
In 2013, the dish cleaning soap firm launched a nine-part documentary referred to as “The Huge Image,” which adopted rescuers and volunteers utilizing Daybreak to scrub and take care of wildlife.
The primary episode famously confirmed rescuers utilizing Daybreak to scrub geese caught within the crossfire of oil spills.
Greater than a decade later, ducklings dubbed “the Daybreak Geese” are pictured on virtually all of Daybreak’s merchandise and are nonetheless featured in commercials.
What I like: The docuseries options interviews with actual rescuers interspersed with a b-roll of oil birds being cleaned utilizing the cleaning soap.
I additionally love how the documentary cleverly confirmed how the cleaning soap is hard sufficient to chop by way of oil however light on the pores and skin.
2. Dove – The Code | Dove Self-Esteem Challenge
In 2024, Dove launched a brief movie referred to as “The Code” as a part of the Dove Self-Esteem Challenge. It exhibits a younger lady of colour asking AI to generate photographs of what lovely, assured ladies seem like.
The younger lady is then proven AI-generated photographs of white, blond-haired ladies who match inside very slim, unrealistic magnificence requirements. She later sorts in the identical question however as a substitute provides “in accordance with Dove Actual Magnificence Advert.”
From there, she is proven extra various, real looking photographs of assured and delightful ladies.
What I like: The movie drives dwelling Dove‘s level in only one minute, capturing the viewers’s consideration with out overstaying its welcome.
I additionally love that Dove included statistics about AI firstly and related it to the advert‘s function: to indicate that Dove won’t use AI to create or discord ladies’s photographs.
This movie was a artistic and heartwarming strategy to set up belief and transparency between the corporate and its viewers.
3. Airbnb
I already lined why Airbnb‘s YouTube video about Ula and her household is a wonderful instance of visible storytelling, so I gained’t rehash the identical particulars.
As an alternative, I encourage you to consider methods your model or group has proven up in your group or these in want.
Then, attain out to the folks or households who’ve benefited out of your providers and spotlight their testimonials in a visible medium like movie or pictures.
4. Gemini
Coinciding with the 2024 Olympics, Google launched an Olympic-themed advert showcasing the various makes use of of AI, Gemini. The advert encompasses a father telling the story of how his daughter is impressed by Olympic sprinter Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone.
As the daddy narrates the advert, viewers are proven fast clips of Gemini producing a coaching routine for his baby.
The advert ends with the narrator asking Gemini to assist his daughter write a letter to Sydney saying she‘s an inspiration and he or she plans on breaking her document when she’s older.
What I like: Google discovered a strategy to join a present, trending subject (the Olympics) to its product whereas showcasing Gemini’s many makes use of.
5. Amazon – “Saving Sawyer”
Amazon’s “Saving Sawyer” advert exhibits a canine who enjoys spending time along with his household as they lock down in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nevertheless, after the lockdown ends and the household returns to highschool and work, the canine quickly turns into stressed, lonely, and damaging.
The advert exhibits the household searching for a canine kennel on Amazon because the canine (and viewers) nervously appears to be like on.
Fortuitously, it seems the kennel wasn’t for the canine however for a brand new pup that may be becoming a member of the household and retaining lonely canine firm.
What I like: Amazon does a wonderful job of connecting a relatable state of affairs to its service. Through the pandemic, practically one in 5 households nationwide adopted a brand new canine.
These pets grew to become used to their households being dwelling with all of them day, and plenty of People struggled to undertake their animals to being dwelling alone as folks started returning to highschool and work.
Amazon integrated this truth into its visible storytelling and confirmed audiences that Amazon carries many merchandise that may be useful for pits, together with an digital deal with distributor and a kennel for bringing a brand new pet dwelling to maintain your unique fur child firm.
I additionally admire how the advert performed on emotion by making the viewers fear concerning the canine‘s destiny (I’m assuming his title is Sawyer?).
6. Purina Service Canine Salute
Purina’s transferring documentary follows three real-life veterans and their service canine.
All through the documentary, the veterans describe their time within the navy and their battle to maneuver ahead into civilian life whereas managing their psychological well being.
The documentary exhibits the distinction service canine make of their lives. Whereas telling the tales, viewers can see fast photographs of the canine consuming Purina pet food to have the power and vitamin to assist their house owners.
What I like: The documentary options actual interviews with actual veterans, and pictures of Purina luggage is integrated into the movie in a pure means.
And, because the daughter of two veterans, I used to be capable of emotionally connect with the video’s topics.
7. Gibson – “The Course of”
Gibson Inc. desires its shoppers to know the guitars they promote are expertly crafted and of the best high quality.
To drive these factors dwelling, the guitar firm began a digital collection referred to as “The Course of,” which takes viewers behind the scenes of crafting a Gibson guitar.
What I like: I benefit from the unique look into the artwork of crafting a guitar. It‘s a peek behind a curtain that even probably the most proficient gamers aren’t all the time granted.
Take into consideration the method of making your product and take into account methods you possibly can take viewers behind the scenes.
8. Nike – What Are You Working On?
Every episode of Nike’s internet collection “What Are You Working On?” highlights an athlete as they share their distinctive journeys. The themes narrate the episodes, which present them enjoying their sport, coaching, and dealing to attain their objectives.
What I like: Every athlete is seen lacing up their Nike sneakers and sporting Nike gear as they practice, displaying the viewers that Nike performs a job of their journey as effectively and is designed with athletes in thoughts.
9. Subaru – Subaru Loves Studying
A variety of the examples I‘ve proven you contain large, costly productions, extremely stylized footage, and virtually movie-level modifying.
However don’t fear; Subaru‘s short-form video for Subaru Loves Studying proves that you just don’t want all that for impactful visible storytelling.
The video options actual voice messages from educators thanking Subaru for adopting their lecture rooms and offering the requirements to their college students.
The uncooked voice messages are accompanied by photographs of the lecture rooms Subaru adopted and the provides they acquired.
What I like: Making a video like Subaru’s is easy and fast to make. You solely want audio, photographs, and fundamental modifying expertise (or an intuitive app to edit the video for you).
10. McDonald’s Anime Industrial
I‘m an enormous anime fan, so I actually loved this McDonald’s anime advert that aired in Japan a number of years in the past. The animated advert exhibits a younger lady who will get a job at her native McDonald’s and is mentored by her supervisor.
As time goes on, the girl develops vital expertise that assist her mentor the following era of workers and transfer on to higher-paying alternatives sooner or later.
The advert encourages folks to use to their native McDonald’s to achieve expertise for different careers.
What I like: I like that the advert makes use of attractive animation to painting McDonald’s as greater than a quick meals restaurant, however as a spot younger folks can go to develop and develop key expertise.
Take into consideration what your model brings to its group that goes past services.
As you possibly can see, visible storytelling can be utilized in some ways to get folks invested in your model. Simply begin with a imaginative and prescient, story, and function.
Editor’s word: This put up was initially revealed in Could 2016 and has been up to date for comprehensiveness.
