What's the value of a good story today?
It must be a lot, based on how many companies build their businesses on creating stories. I loved this article in Business Week online about Jeff Gomez, master storyteller and comic-book nerd who's the genius behind narratives for Disney, Coke and Microsoft. Creative agencies depend on crafting the ultimate story and consultancies like Eat Big Fish have built their entire business on helping companies reenact the classic story of David and Goliath - their theory being that everyone loves a good story (and loves to watch fights between big guys and little guys).
Some stories make me laugh. Like the brand launch story for Gilly Hicks, the newest brand on the block for Abercrombie and Fitch. Gilly is a beautiful Australian girl who loves lying on the sand, horses and her undies. Unfortunately, it's not supposed to be funny.
Some stories make me cry. *thanks, Jeff Cunningham, for that beautiful link
But when it comes to actually creating stories myself, the best word to describe the feeling is, well, confused. Am I in the business of storytelling? What does authenticity mean? Is a beautiful story worth anything if it's not true? Yet fantasy plays a huge role in design, doesn't it? You see: it gets confusing.
This past weekend, Levi's stores nationwide told a story. A good one. They adopted the "white knots" symbol of solidarity for the same-sex marriage movement. There were no signs or explicit messages about the gesture. But the sales staff were briefed on the campaign and readied to have conversations with customers who wanted to talk about it. It bubbled up from within the company and was approved by Levi's because it felt true to the "pioneering spirit of today."
A client once told Paul Bennett once told me, "Agencies create a myth and sell it. IDEO finds the truth and tells it." Everyone has their personal filter for good and bad stories. For me,the filters are getting a little clearer:
1. Is it true?
2. Does it reflect the storyteller's values?
3. Is it artfully told?
But if I'm consuming the story (rather than creating it), it's a whole different story. I have all the time in the world for fantasy. Below, a 501 commercial from '94. Awesome. * thanks, Webster
i think it goes the same with people at some level: everyone is building their own brand and their own stories that one would like to present to the world. I wonder if the same filters apply:
1. Is it true?
2. Does it reflect the storyteller's values?
3. Is it artfully told?
Also, is it the ending of the story that is important or the process of how and what was told?
Posted by: so un | June 03, 2009 at 04:43 AM