CLIENT

Staples

Ah, there it is. The most overused, troped-out advertising buzzword of the last decade: storytelling.

Okay, so why do I have a page dedicated to storytelling in my portfolio? Simple. When done right, storytelling can redefine a brand or become a generational rallying cry. Think Apple’s “1984,” Nike’s “Mars Blackmon” ads or Gatorade’s “Be Like Mike.”

When it’s done wrong? Ho boy. Just think of Pepsi’s spectacularly tone-deaf Kendall Jenner ad or pretty much anything from Peloton. Yeah, bad. Really bad.

For writers, storytelling is like the One Ring to Gollum. We love it and hate it.   

Now, I’m not claiming my ads have the power and sway of Mars Blackmon and MJ (Hey, it’s gotta be the shoes). But I still love them because they do their job. They tell the brand story and share

it with customers.