For life

Happy Friday,

How was your week? Mine was filled with birthday fun, being spoiled by my favourite people and business fun, celebrating a great year full of achievements. 

This week, I felt like zooming in on storytelling, one of three key ingredients of brand building. We do it daily in front of our family, friends, colleagues, consumers, and customers. And it is not easy to do in a short time when there's so much to say and share while keeping everyone interested. 

For every story, you need to have:

• A hero | The central figure in your narrative

• A shadow | The hero's adversary

• And a light Figure | A person or entity who helps the hero attain the knowledge or skills they need on their quest.

Brand builders must be excellent storytellers, and Volvo just told an epic one crafted by Hoyte Van Hoyetma, one of the best storytellers. Think Tenet, Oppenheimer, and Interstellar. 

This story is long—almost four minutes long—yet you find yourself mesmerized by it. It is a masterclass in keeping us interested and wanting to know more while pre-conditioning us on the purpose of their brand without even showing us the product until the end.

For life

Within that story, the hero vocalizes vulnerability, peppered with humming, kids laughing, and so many endearing life moments centred on one of their brand's key attributes: safeguarding.

While telling their story, Volvo managed to unleash the greatest weapon of storytelling: nostalgia, an accelerator that connects a functional benefit to an emotional one.

Sometimes, the moments that matter the most are the ones that never happen. 

Which is the whole point of their brand promise, anchoring the key attribute of their new model, safety.  

And boom, there you are, considering Volvo, taking you from awareness to consideration. 

And one step closer to intent on the path to purchase. 

See you next week