- Shervin Youssefian (Yousefian) and Danny Simonzad at the Premiere of Crossroad
If you've ever wondered how it would be like to write copy for an advertising agency, there are some essentials that you need to know about. For instance, the 7 story types that best tell your audience about your company.
Whether you look at Gladiator or Pulp Fiction or the Sound of Music, you will always be able to categorize a film into one of the seven story types. Christopher Booker does a great job explaining this concept in his book Seven Basic Plots, where he talks about the seven essential themes that human stories are made of.
1. David Vs Goliath. This is one of the all time favorite story types that stacks up the protagonist against unsurmountable odds and finds him victorious at the end. In advertising, a product could be the only key or instrument that will take David or the every day man to victory.
2. Born Anew. A story of revival or reinventing yourself. Look at Tootsie, a film about a man who has to start a career as a woman, or Jim Carrey in the Mask who gets another chance to be a superhero.
3. Rags to Riches. The Count of Monte Cristo may have a lot of different themes but the one that resonates the most with audiences is the transformation of Edmond Dantes when he finds the treasure and reinvents himself.
4. Comedy. Comedy may be one of the hardest storytelling feats but if it is done right, it will be one of the greatest successes with your target.
5. Journey of Transformation. Alice in Wonderland is a prime example of this type of storytelling technique. The main character, originally flawed, is taken on a journey that will have him changed upon return. Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz was at odds with her family, but after she goes to the land of Oz, she returns with a newfound appreciation for the farm.
6. Hero's Quest. Shrek is given a mission to travel to a far away land, defeat a dragon and save a princess from her dungeon. Only then will he get his pond back. However, as you and I both know, by the end of the journey, he no longer cares about the pond when he has met his soul mate, Princess Fiona. It's an epic telling of a journey where a man overcomes many obstacles and reaches his goal and is crowned a hero.
7. Tragedy. Advertising usually aims to create a positive outlook on life, generally produced with the advertised item. This type of story doesn't usually find a place in advertising unless it is used in PSA's (Public Service Announcements) to paint moments of despair and pull at the audience's heartstrings.
Before writing, explore the 7 story types and choose which will be the best fit for you and your Brand. It is ok to combine different story types but keep the primary story focus on one theme. For instance, you can write about a man who goes on a mission trip to Africa against his own will, and there he learns to understand other cultures. Upon his return, he is transformed and can apply his new-found multi-cultural appreciation to his work. While this is clearly a Journey of Transformation story, you may infuse it with comedic moments.
Another example, would be a story of a man who has to keeps reinventing himself so much that he completely loses his identity and the story ends in tragedy. The story prime is one of "Rebirth" but the underlying theme is tragic.
Keep these 7 story types handy, amongst your writing tools so you can always refer back to them if you feel the need to refocus your writing. Human beings are wired to respond to these stories as we are wired to respond to rhymes in a song. This guide will help you in the storytelling process by merely creating parameters in which you can be as innovative as you'd like.
Understanding structure and technique will strengthen your strategy and turn you into a branding guru.
contact Spot On Media at 800.507.0159 or visit http://www.spotonmediatv.com.
If you liked this article, you may be interested in:
Commercial Production
Creative Branding
Television Ad Storytelling
Branding Exercises
Infomercial Production
DR Productions
DR Marketing
Direct Response Production
Direct Response Commercial
Infographics
No comments:
Post a Comment