Adaily's Year of Brilliance #9: Tell a Story
This week, we're looking at campaigns that forge deep connections by Telling a Story. Using conflict-driven narratives is a powerful way to create tension, engage audiences emotionally and make brand messages memorable. The key is defining the core conflict (like Character vs. Society or vs. Self) and the brand's role within that narrative. See more in Adaily here.
1. Womb Stories • Bodyform
AMV BBDO London • 2020 • Personal care • United States • North America
Campaign Summary:
Bodyform's "#Wombstories" campaign tackled taboos around women's health by telling diverse, often unspoken stories of the complex relationship with wombs, featuring conflicts like infertility, endometriosis, and menopause. Using a mix of live action and animation, the campaign aimed to break societal barriers and normalize conversations about these intimate experiences.
The powerful narrative approach resonated widely, sparking significant media attention and praise for bringing difficult but important women's health issues into the open.
2. Ashe Versus • Moderna Inc.
TBWA\Health Collective New York • 2024 • Healthcare • United States • North America
Campaign Summary:
Moderna's "Ashe Versus" campaign celebrated Arthur Ashe's legacy, using an animated tennis match as a narrative device to depict his conflicts against societal barriers and health challenges (Character vs. Society/Fate). Partnering with the US Open, the story aimed to align Moderna with progress and inclusion beyond its COVID-19 association.
The campaign significantly boosted brand perception (+7% preference, +70% favorability), reached 17M+ viewers, and achieved a 4.6x ROI.
3. Vs Series • SK-II
Grey Tokyo • 2022 • Beauty • Japan • Asia
Campaign Summary:
SK-II's global "Vs." campaign empowered women by telling animated and live-action stories of athletes battling intense societal pressures and expectations (Character vs. Society/Self). Launched via SK-II Studio™ to tackle issues impacting women, the films aimed to inspire them to change their destiny.
The campaign achieved massive reach (1.4B views), overwhelmingly positive sentiment (99%), extensive PR, and drove significant business impact (+11% global sales growth).
4. Boys Do Cry • Gotcha4Life Foundation
The Hallway Sydney • 2022 • NGO - health • Australia • Oceania
Campaign Summary:
Gotcha4Life's "Boys Do Cry" campaign challenged harmful masculinity norms by telling a story of emotional vulnerability, using a reimagined Cure song to depict the conflict between societal expectations and men's mental health (Character vs. Society/Self). The music video featured diverse men, aiming to normalize help-seeking behavior among young Australian males.
The campaign achieved massive reach (65M+ earned/social) and early academic studies indicated increased help-seeking intentions among viewers.
5. Fair Tales • Odeabank
PunchBBDO • 2020 • Bank • Turkey • Europe
Campaign Summary:
Odeabank's "Fair Tales" campaign challenged traditional gender roles by retelling classic fairy tales, using these familiar story structures to address the conflict of gender inequality (Character vs. Society). Featuring reversed roles where women were brave and men kind, the campaign offered free books and audiobooks promoting equality.
The initiative resonated strongly with parents, generating significant organic reach, media praise, and fostering discussions about equal representation.
Quick Takeaways: Tell a Story
Embrace Taboo Truths: Don't shy away from difficult or unspoken realities. Bodyform's "Womb Stories" showed that authentic narratives about complex experiences resonate deeply. Think: What uncomfortable but relatable truth related to your audience or product could form the basis of a powerful story?
Use Metaphor for Complex Journeys: Representing struggles visually or conceptually (like Moderna's "Ashe Versus" tennis match or SK-II's "Vs" animations) can make complex conflicts understandable and engaging. Think: What visual metaphor or narrative frame could simplify and dramatize the core conflict your character faces?
Challenge Societal Norms: Stories can be powerful tools for change. Gotcha4Life ("Boys Do Cry") and Odeabank ("Fair Tales") used narratives to question ingrained cultural expectations. Think: What societal norm or expectation could your brand challenge through a compelling character-driven story?
Define the Brand's Role Clearly: Is your brand the enabler, the supporter, the reward, or even the antagonist? Knowing the brand's specific function within the narrative (like SK-II enabling athletes or Odeabank providing alternative tales) strengthens the story. Think: What specific role does your brand play in the character's conflict and resolution?
About Adaily Inspiration
Adaily Inspiration is your weekly dose of creative fuel. Each Tuesday, we explore a powerful creative thinking tool from the Deck of Brilliance (a collection of 52 methods by Juggi Ramakrishnan and Todd McCracken). We break down the tool, show you how to apply it to your marketing, and analyze five award-winning campaigns from the Adaily database that demonstrate its effectiveness. Our goal is to help you generate breakthrough ideas and create campaigns that truly resonate.
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Disclaimer: All campaign descriptions in this post are AI-generated, based on real-life descriptions provided by the authors.
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