How Nike and IKEA Tell Better Stories With Proven Storytelling Frameworks
From the Hero's journey to Rags to Riches, these brands give us the blueprint for telling better stories.
Hi, I’m Ben Watkins 👋 Thanks for joining another edition of La Vie Ben Rose. Every week, I unravel storytelling frameworks and techniques from authors, brands, and creators. I also look at how you can improve your copywriting and writing.
Do you ever find yourself screaming, crying, or in rage when a powerful story unfolds before your eyes?
The character, who you dearly love, does something beyond stupid that puts his goals in jeopardy. Maybe that character is having success (and you’re rooting for them), then they make poor decisions, and then, right after your heart is yanked out of your chest, that character achieves their goals.
The end.
Congrats, you just fell for the Hero’s Journey. The storytelling framework that brands have used to make billions. The same framework that Hollywood has used to make billions.
But why do these storytelling frameworks pull on your heartstrings? Why do they get you emotionally involved? I SAID WHY WHY WHY.
Let’s break it down so you can use these frameworks in your brand and put your audience on a rollercoaster ride of a story.
Nike’s Hero’s Journey Is a Lesson on Simple Storytelling
If you didn’t know, Nike’s target audience is athletes or the wannabe athletes of the world.
Nike’s slogan, “Just Do It,” which came out of the mouth of convicted murderer Gary Gilmore - surprise! Nonetheless, it is still a good slogan to power their story. That call to action is designed to motivate you and get you to take action.
Let’s break down the 12 steps of the hero’s journey with a spiffy-looking graphic that neatly sums it up.
But how does that apply to Nike’s brand?
We can break it down in a few steps:
The Call to Adventure: The ordinary person who strives for greatness.
The Challenge: Training, self-doubt, or societal barriers.
The Transformation: The protagonist is stronger, faster, or more confident through their journey.
When you highlight ordinary people achieving extraordinary things, you show the hero’s journey. You’re making it relatable.
Here are some of my favorite examples of Nike showing the Hero’s Journey in its brand and storytelling.
My takeaway is to write stories that make your customers the hero. The story you write is not about you. The problems you solve are not about you.
Think like your audience. They are on a journey with obstacles. Your product gives them a transformation. Here’s how I mapped it out with cool emojis.
Hero (your audience) 👉 receives a call to adventure 👉 commits to the journey 👉 has to overcome obstacles 👉 overcomes a transformation 👉 completes goals 👉 returns to normal world with new skills or confidence
IKEA’s Rags to Riches Storytelling Framework
IKEA has furniture that takes a million years to put together, but you do that because you LOVE the storytelling.
You went from an empty raggy space to a lofy rich space. All with IKEA furniture. Now that's magical (still have to spend 8 hours putting it together).
With the rags to riches framework, you get the opportunity to make a change. Then there’s struggle to skills to eventually reaching the top.
Some of my favorite IKEA ads show the rags-to-riches storytelling framework.
The ad above is a bit more complex when it comes to rags to riches (at least for me).
But the idea is still the same - transform your space with IKEA. It’s not about the food, the table, or even the painting.
It’s about the value of being together. The people you are with are the ones that transform your space.
A few of my favorite takeaways from the Hero’s Journey and Rags to Riches
The Hero’s Journey and Rags to Riches is always about the customer’s journey. You have to make it about the audience.
When you skip steps in the journey, the end achievement is less impactful because there is less struggle.
These frameworks are pointless if your characters are unlikely or even unrelatable.
Use these frameworks to guide your story and your message. Think about the ultimate transformation.
When you're ready, here are a few ways I can help you 👇
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Thanks for reading!
Ben Watkins