10 Stunning Examples to Inspire You

Earlier than changing into a marketer, I used to be a journalist who liked the chance to inform tales about my group and share views that may in any other case go unnoticed.

Once I left the journalism enterprise, I assumed my storytelling days had been over; nevertheless, visible storytelling is essential within the advertising and marketing world.

Visible storytelling permits manufacturers to attach with audiences on an emotional and private degree by sharing tales accompanied by beautiful imagery.

So, preserve studying to discover ways to incorporate visible storytelling into your advertising and marketing marketing campaign. I‘ve included a few of my favourite examples to assist encourage you. Let’s go!

Desk of Contents

The corporate, which makes a speciality of quick—and long-term homestays, posted a video on its YouTube channel telling the story of a displaced household that received a recent begin by securing non permanent housing by Airbnb.

The YouTube video interweaves interviews with the household with b-roll footage of their each day lives, former residence, and the pure catastrophe that modified their lives eternally.

The story tugs at my coronary heart, and the wealthy imagery and considerate edits improve it. All whereas advertising and marketing Airbnb as extra than simply an alternative choice to accommodations; it’s an possibility for individuals who want non permanent shelter.

Why is visible storytelling vital?

Visible storytelling can construct an genuine, emotional connection between your model and its viewers, resulting in loyal shoppers who’re invested in your story, merchandise, and companies. Let’s return to my Airbnb instance.

Shoppers might even see this heartwarming story of how Airbnb helped a household in want and should determine to guide their subsequent trip stick with Airbnb not simply due to its companies however as a result of they wish to preserve the enterprise thriving to allow them to assist different households.

Visible storytelling may also construct model recognition that may final for years to come back. My favourite instance of lifelong model recognition is Daybreak Dish Cleaning soap’s “The Massive Image” docuseries—which I am going to discover extra in-depth later.

Parts of Visible Storytelling

So what parts do it’s essential flawlessly execute visible storytelling in your marketing campaign? Effectively, let’s begin with the apparent —the visuals and story.

Visuals

Whether or not you are telling a narrative by graphics, pictures, or video, compelling imagery is crucial to bringing your story to life. A few of my favourite examples of beautiful visuals come from the Sydney Opera Home.

The world-famous opera home quickly closed its doorways throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and for the primary time in years, the venue was empty of holiday makers and performers.

Throughout this time, the opera home underwent repairs and updates, and a neighborhood photographer, Daniel Boud, was invited inside.

Boud took beautiful pictures of an unusually empty Sydney Opera Home, a website most individuals might by no means see once more.

The pictures conveyed a way of nostalgia for the various performances which have taken place on the decades-old opera home.

Additionally they advised a narrative of unease and melancholy, reflecting the wave of uncertainty that swept the world of dwell efficiency firstly of the pandemic as many venues closed their doorways (some for good).

Photographs of development employees updating the opera home additionally mirrored a glimmer of hope for the longer term as they spruced up the venue for future performances regardless of not figuring out after they’d ever occur.

Picture Supply

Story

In fact, you should consider the story you are making an attempt to inform earlier than you may even get your visuals collectively.

The Sydney Opera Home needed Boud to inform the story of how some of the energetic and loud locations on the planet stood silent and empty however nonetheless confirmed hope for the way forward for its livelihood and that of the efficiency artwork business.

What story do you wish to convey to your viewers? Maybe you wish to share how your model got here to be or how your group has made a distinction in the local people.

Maybe your model has skilled some dangerous press, and also you wish to present the way you‘ve turned issues round and massively improved your services or products, like Domino’s Pizza.

Years in the past, the corporate acquired backlash for the standard of its pizza and was the butt of many jokes.

Within the video under, Domino’s makes use of interviews, a b-roll, real shopper reactions, and a peek behind the kitchen to indicate that the corporate is utilizing a brand new recipe and that buyers can now take pleasure in their newly improved scrumptious pizza.

Feelings

Your visible story should make your viewers really feel one thing that generates an emotional connection. As I stated earlier, the pictures of an empty Sydney Opera Home made viewers uneasy.

How might such a powerhouse turn into so desolate? How might issues change so instantly?

The pictures additionally conveyed isolation from artists, the performing arts group, and the world.

These emotions fostered an emotional reference to viewers as a result of they had been the identical emotions that folks felt worldwide because the pandemic pressured many to remain indoors and keep away from gatherings with family members.

Take into consideration a difficulty your viewers is experiencing and discover a strategy to inform a narrative that illustrates their emotions and exhibits that, above all, you perceive them.

Authenticity

No matter story you‘re making an attempt to inform wants to come back from a real place. What’s an actual downside that your viewers typically experiences? How are you going to visually present that your model affords an actual resolution?

What’s the true story of how your model got here to be? Can actual clients provide testimonials of how your services or products helped them?

The Sydney Opera Home actually did shut down quickly throughout the pandemic, and the pictures taken throughout its time of silence had been actual and never staged. So, for lack of higher phrases, preserve it actual relating to visible storytelling.

Function

Lastly, what would you like your viewers to do after discovering your story? On the finish of its articles that includes Boud’s pictures, the Sydney Opera Home included a hyperlink calling for viewers to donate.

The pictures had been taken to indicate viewers that the opera home’s doorways had been closed however would reopen with a complete new look; within the meantime, donate to maintain the efficiency arts iconic beacon alive!

Domino‘s Pizza needed its audience to know that it acquired their suggestions and made constructive modifications to its recipe, so that they’re prepared for a second probability to impress.

What is the goal of your story?

The right way to Use Visible Storytelling for Advertising

The examples under gives you perception into how you should use visible storytelling in your advertising and marketing technique, off the highest of my head, I do know you should use the idea in advertising and marketing to:

• Share your mission and imaginative and prescient along with your viewers
• Replicate on constructive modifications coming to your model
• Present different makes use of in your product and companies
• Present the place your model stands on vital points regarding your audience

To encourage you, I‘ve compiled an inventory of my favourite examples of visible storytelling, each outdated and new. Let’s dive in!

Visible Storytelling Examples

1. Daybreak Dish Cleaning soap – “The Massive Image”

I advised you I would revisit this instance! This marketing campaign is an oldie however a goodie as a result of it stays a core a part of Daybreak’s branding to this very day.

In 2013, the dish cleaning soap firm launched a nine-part documentary referred to as “The Massive Image,” which adopted rescuers and volunteers utilizing Daybreak to scrub and look after wildlife.

The primary episode famously confirmed rescuers utilizing Daybreak to scrub geese caught within the crossfire of oil spills.

Greater than a decade later, ducklings dubbed “the Daybreak Geese” are pictured on virtually all of Daybreak’s merchandise and are nonetheless featured in commercials.

What I like: The docuseries options interviews with actual rescuers interspersed with a b-roll of oil birds being cleaned utilizing the cleaning soap.

I additionally love how the documentary cleverly confirmed how the cleaning soap is hard sufficient to chop by oil however light on the pores and skin.

2. Dove – The Code | Dove Self-Esteem Mission

In 2024, Dove launched a brief movie referred to as “The Code” as a part of the Dove Self-Esteem Mission. It exhibits a younger lady of coloration asking AI to generate photos of what stunning, assured ladies seem like.

The younger lady is then proven AI-generated photos of white, blond-haired ladies who match inside very slim, unrealistic magnificence requirements. She later sorts in the identical question however as an alternative provides “in response to Dove Actual Magnificence Advert.”

From there, she is proven extra numerous, sensible photos of assured and exquisite ladies.

What I like: The movie drives residence Dove‘s level in only one minute, capturing the viewers’s consideration with out overstaying its welcome.

I additionally love that Dove included statistics about AI firstly and linked it to the advert‘s goal: to indicate that Dove is not going to use AI to create or discord ladies’s photos.

This movie was a artistic and heartwarming strategy to set up belief and transparency between the corporate and its viewers.

3. Airbnb

I already lined why Airbnb‘s YouTube video about Ula and her household is a wonderful instance of visible storytelling, so I gained’t rehash the identical particulars.

As an alternative, I encourage you to consider methods your model or group has proven up in your group or these in want.

Then, attain out to the folks or households who’ve benefited out of your companies and spotlight their testimonials in a visible medium like movie or pictures.

4. Gemini

Coinciding with the 2024 Olympics, Google launched an Olympic-themed advert showcasing the various makes use of of AI, Gemini. The advert incorporates a father telling the story of how his daughter is impressed by Olympic sprinter Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone.

As the daddy narrates the advert, viewers are proven fast clips of Gemini producing a coaching routine for his baby.

The advert ends with the narrator asking Gemini to assist his daughter write a letter to Sydney saying she‘s an inspiration and she or he plans on breaking her document when she’s older.

What I like: Google discovered a strategy to join a present, trending matter (the Olympics) to its product whereas showcasing Gemini’s many makes use of.

5. Amazon – “Saving Sawyer”

Amazon’s “Saving Sawyer” advert exhibits a canine who enjoys spending time along with his household as they lock down throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nonetheless, after the lockdown ends and the household returns to highschool and work, the canine quickly turns into stressed, lonely, and harmful.

The advert exhibits the household purchasing for a canine kennel on Amazon because the canine (and viewers) nervously appears to be like on.

Luckily, it seems the kennel wasn’t for the canine however for a brand new pup that may be becoming a member of the household and protecting lonely canine firm.

What I like: Amazon does a superb job of connecting a relatable state of affairs to its service. In the course of the pandemic, practically one in 5 households nationwide adopted a brand new canine.

These pets turned used to their households being residence with all of them day, and lots of People struggled to undertake their animals to being residence alone as folks started returning to highschool and work.

Amazon integrated this truth into its visible storytelling and confirmed audiences that Amazon carries many merchandise that may be useful for pits, together with an digital deal with distributor and a kennel for bringing a brand new pet residence to maintain your unique fur child firm.

I additionally admire how the advert performed on emotion by making the viewers fear in regards to the canine‘s destiny (I’m assuming his identify is Sawyer?).

6. Purina Service Canine Salute

Purina’s shifting documentary follows three real-life veterans and their service canine.

All through the documentary, the veterans describe their time within the navy and their wrestle to maneuver ahead into civilian life whereas managing their psychological well being.

The documentary exhibits the distinction service canine make of their lives. Whereas telling the tales, viewers can see fast photographs of the canine consuming Purina pet food to have the power and diet to assist their homeowners.

What I like: The documentary options actual interviews with actual veterans, and photographs of Purina baggage is integrated into the movie in a pure means.

And, because the daughter of two veterans, I used to be in a position to emotionally connect with the video’s topics.

7. Gibson – “The Course of”

Gibson Inc. needs its shoppers to know the guitars they promote are expertly crafted and of the best high quality.

To drive these factors residence, the guitar firm began a digital collection referred to as “The Course of,” which takes viewers behind the scenes of crafting a Gibson guitar.

What I like: I benefit from the unique look into the artwork of crafting a guitar. It‘s a peek behind a curtain that even essentially the most proficient gamers aren’t all the time granted.

Take into consideration the method of making your product and take into account methods you may take viewers behind the scenes.

8. Nike – What Are You Working On?

Every episode of Nike’s net collection “What Are You Working On?” highlights an athlete as they share their distinctive journeys. The topics narrate the episodes, which present them enjoying their sport, coaching, and dealing to attain their objectives.

What I like: Every athlete is seen lacing up their Nike sneakers and sporting Nike gear as they practice, exhibiting the viewers that Nike performs a job of their journey as nicely and is designed with athletes in thoughts.

9. Subaru – Subaru Loves Studying

A whole lot of the examples I‘ve proven you contain massive, costly productions, extremely stylized footage, and virtually movie-level enhancing.

However don’t fear; Subaru‘s short-form video for Subaru Loves Studying proves that you simply don’t want all that for impactful visible storytelling.

The video options actual voice messages from educators thanking Subaru for adopting their lecture rooms and offering the requirements to their college students.

The uncooked voice messages are accompanied by pictures of the school rooms Subaru adopted and the provides they acquired.

What I like: Making a video like Subaru’s is easy and fast to make. You solely want audio, pictures, and primary enhancing abilities (or an intuitive app to edit the video for you).

10. McDonald’s Anime Business

I‘m an enormous anime fan, so I actually loved this McDonald’s anime advert that aired in Japan a number of years in the past. The animated advert exhibits a younger lady who will get a job at her native McDonald’s and is mentored by her supervisor.

As time goes on, the girl develops vital abilities that assist her mentor the following technology of staff and transfer on to higher-paying alternatives sooner or later.

The advert encourages folks to use to their native McDonald’s to realize abilities for different careers.

What I like: I really like that the advert makes use of beautiful animation to painting McDonald’s as greater than a quick meals restaurant, however as a spot younger folks can go to develop and develop key abilities.

Take into consideration what your model brings to its group that goes past services.

As you may see, visible storytelling can be utilized in some ways to get folks invested in your model. Simply begin with a imaginative and prescient, story, and goal.

Editor’s be aware: This put up was initially printed in Might 2016 and has been up to date for comprehensiveness.