Earlier than turning into a marketer, I used to be a journalist who cherished the chance to inform tales about my group and share views that might in any other case go unnoticed.
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After I left the journalism enterprise, I believed my storytelling days have been over; nonetheless, visible storytelling is vital within the advertising world.
Visible storytelling permits manufacturers to attach with audiences on an emotional and private degree by sharing tales accompanied by gorgeous imagery.
So, preserve 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 includes utilizing visible parts to reinforce or inform a narrative. These parts will be video, pictures, graphics—any media that generates visible curiosity. One in all my favourite examples of visible storytelling comes from Airbnb.
The corporate, which focuses on brief—and long-term homestays, posted a video on its YouTube channel telling the story of a displaced household that bought a contemporary begin by securing non permanent housing via Airbnb.
The YouTube video interweaves interviews with the household with b-roll footage of their every day lives, former house, and the pure catastrophe that modified their lives eternally.
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 resorts; it’s an choice 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 might even see this heartwarming story of how Airbnb helped a household in want and will determine to ebook their subsequent trip stick with Airbnb not simply due to its providers however as a result of they need to preserve the enterprise thriving to allow them to assist different households.
Visible storytelling can even construct model recognition that may final for years to return. My favourite instance of lifelong model recognition is Daybreak Dish Cleaning soap’s “The Large Image” docuseries—which I will discover extra in-depth later.
Parts of Visible Storytelling
So what parts do it is advisable 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 via graphics, pictures, or video, compelling imagery is important to bringing your story to life. A few of my favourite examples of beautiful visuals come from the Sydney Opera Home.
The world-famous opera home briefly closed its doorways in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, and for the primary time in years, the venue was empty of tourists and performers.
Throughout this time, the opera home underwent repairs and updates, and an area photographer, Daniel Boud, was invited inside.
Boud took beautiful pictures of an unusually empty Sydney Opera Home, a website most individuals could by no means see once more.
The pictures conveyed a way of nostalgia for the numerous performances which have taken place on the decades-old opera home.
In addition they instructed a narrative of unease and melancholy, reflecting the wave of uncertainty that swept the world of dwell efficiency at the beginning of the pandemic as many venues closed their doorways (some for good).
Images 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 understanding after they’d ever occur.
Story
In fact, you should consider the story you are attempting to inform earlier than you’ll be able to even get your visuals collectively.
The Sydney Opera Home needed Boud to inform the story of how some of the vigorous 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 business.
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 local people.
Maybe your model has skilled some unhealthy 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 obtained 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 shopper reactions, and a peek behind the kitchen to point out 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 mentioned earlier, the pictures of an empty Sydney Opera Home made viewers uneasy.
How may such a powerhouse develop into so desolate? How may issues change so abruptly?
The pictures 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 difficulty your viewers is experiencing and discover a strategy to inform a narrative that illustrates their emotions and reveals that, above all, you perceive them.
Authenticity
No matter story you‘re attempting to inform wants to return from a real place. What’s an actual drawback that your viewers typically experiences? How will you visually present that your model affords an actual answer?
What’s the actual story of how your model got here to be? Can actual prospects provide testimonials of how your services or products helped them?
The Sydney Opera Home actually did shut down briefly in the course of the pandemic, and the pictures taken throughout its time of silence have been actual and never staged. So, for lack of higher phrases, preserve it actual relating to visible storytelling.
Function
Lastly, what would you like your viewers to do after discovering your story? On the finish of its articles that includes Boud’s images, the Sydney Opera Home included a hyperlink calling for viewers to donate.
The pictures have been taken to point out viewers that the opera home’s doorways have been closed however would reopen with a complete new look; within the meantime, donate to maintain the efficiency arts iconic beacon alive!
Domino‘s Pizza needed its audience to know that it obtained their suggestions and made optimistic modifications to its recipe, in order that they’re prepared for a second likelihood to impress.
What is the objective of your story?
The best way to Use Visible Storytelling for Advertising
The examples under provides you with perception into how you should use visible storytelling in your advertising technique, off the highest of my head, I do know you should use the idea in advertising to:
- Share your mission and imaginative and prescient along with your viewers
- Replicate on optimistic modifications 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 audience
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 Large Image”
I instructed 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 known as “The Large Image,” which adopted rescuers and volunteers utilizing Daybreak to scrub and look after 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 nearly all of Daybreak’s merchandise and are nonetheless featured in ads.
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 via oil however light on the pores and skin.
2. Dove – The Code | Dove Self-Esteem Undertaking
In 2024, Dove launched a brief movie known as “The Code” as a part of the Dove Self-Esteem Undertaking. It reveals a younger girl of colour asking AI to generate pictures of what stunning, assured girls appear to be.
The younger girl is then proven AI-generated pictures of white, blond-haired girls who match inside very slender, 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 numerous, practical pictures of assured and exquisite girls.
What I like: The movie drives house 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 at the beginning and related it to the advert‘s objective: to point out that Dove won’t use AI to create or discord girls’s pictures.
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 images.
4. Gemini
Coinciding with the 2024 Olympics, Google launched an Olympic-themed advert showcasing the numerous makes use of of AI, Gemini. The advert incorporates 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 matter (the Olympics) to its product whereas showcasing Gemini’s many makes use of.
5. Amazon – “Saving Sawyer”
Amazon’s “Saving Sawyer” advert reveals a canine who enjoys spending time together with his household as they lock down in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nonetheless, after the lockdown ends and the household returns to highschool and work, the canine quickly turns into stressed, lonely, and harmful.
The advert reveals the household looking for a canine kennel on Amazon because the canine (and viewers) nervously appears to be like on.
Thankfully, it seems the kennel wasn’t for the canine however for a brand new pup that might be becoming a member of the household and maintaining lonely canine firm.
What I like: Amazon does a superb job of connecting a relatable state of affairs to its service. Throughout the pandemic, practically one in 5 households nationwide adopted a brand new canine.
These pets grew to become used to their households being house with all of them day, and plenty of People struggled to undertake their animals to being house 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 house to maintain your authentic fur child firm.
I additionally admire how the advert performed on emotion by making the viewers fear in regards to the canine‘s destiny (I’m assuming his title is Sawyer?).
6. Purina Service Canine Salute
Purina’s shifting documentary follows three real-life veterans and their service canines.
All through the documentary, the veterans describe their time within the army and their battle to maneuver ahead into civilian life whereas managing their psychological well being.
The documentary reveals the distinction service canines make of their lives. Whereas telling the tales, viewers can see fast photographs of the canines 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 baggage is integrated into the movie in a pure means.
And, because the daughter of two veterans, I used to be in a position to 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 very best high quality.
To drive these factors house, the guitar firm began a digital collection known 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 essentially the most proficient gamers aren’t all the time granted.
Take into consideration the method of making your product and contemplate methods you’ll be able to 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 taking part in their sport, coaching, and dealing to attain their targets.
What I like: Every athlete is seen lacing up their Nike sneakers and sporting Nike gear as they prepare, displaying the viewers that Nike performs a task 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 massive, costly productions, extremely stylized footage, and nearly movie-level enhancing.
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 school rooms and offering the requirements to their college students.
The uncooked voice messages are accompanied by pictures of the lecture rooms Subaru adopted and the provides they obtained.
What I like: Making a video like Subaru’s is straightforward and fast to make. You solely want audio, pictures, and primary enhancing 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 reveals a younger girl 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 subsequent technology of staff and transfer on to higher-paying alternatives sooner or later.
The advert encourages folks to use to their native McDonald’s to realize expertise for different careers.
What I like: I like that the advert makes use of beautiful 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 and products.
As you’ll be able to 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 objective.
Editor’s be aware: This put up was initially revealed in Could 2016 and has been up to date for comprehensiveness.
