A few weeks ago, my fellow KSVer Tucker wrote a great post about the importance of brands taking risks and telling stories. And he’s right. With the help of Pixar, I’ll tell you why.
Every time I watch the first six minutes of the Pixar movie Up, I cry. Sob is more accurate. It’s an incredibly moving story of two people, Ellie and Carl. In the span of the six minutes, you follow their life together. You watch them meet as children, fall in love, get married, buy their first house, make plans for the future. You ride the emotional rollercoaster of their ups and downs, all the way to Ellie’s deathbed. In those six minutes, you forget you’re watching two animated characters. Heck, you forget you’re watching a movie altogether.
Another Pixar example: Wall-E. That movie packs an emotional punch, and there’s not even any talking (or human facial features to follow) for the first third of the film. And remember in Toy Story 3 when Andy passes on his gang of toys to Bonnie and drives away? Sigh.
Pixar is basically synonymous with storytelling. Why can’t your brand be?
Take a page out of Pixar’s book and tell a story about your business. Find a challenge you’ve overcome, a villain you’ve conquered, your best moment. Even a time when you failed…and then tried again. Make your business a character. Speak in an honest voice. And people will listen.
What’s your favorite example of brand storytelling?
Want more on Pixar’s rules of storytelling? Former Pixar storyboard artist Emma Coats shared 22 pearls of the company’s storytelling wisdom earlier this year.