The world of storytelling

They are inescapable. Everyone has them and everyone loves them: fascinating stories. Stories are a powerful medium to connect people and evoke emotions. They are therefore excellent instruments for conveying information, putting your company or product in the spotlight, strengthening brand experience, or creating involvement with your target group.

In this article we delve deeper into the phenomenon of storytelling, explore why it is so effective and look at some inspiring examples.

The power of storytelling

Storytelling is not a recent invention. For thousands of years, people have been sharing stories, whether written texts or orally passed down secrets passed down from generation to generation.

In essence, storytelling is about sharing a story. But there is more to it. The world of marketing, and video marketing in particular, is all about telling stories with a purpose. You want customers to feel a personal or emotional connection with your company or brand and inspire them to purchase your product.

The most crucial element is a well-structured story. By presenting this visually and using cinematic techniques that play with tempo, rhythm, suspense, sound effects, music and voice, you can evoke emotions and create an atmosphere that leads to experience and connection.

Why does storytelling work so well?

Many people are visual and remember information best when it is presented visually. But more importantly, our brains are wired for stories. A well-told story activates different parts of the brain. The reward system in our brain ensures that when we hear the beginning of a story or watch a video, we long for the end. We want to see more when the video ends.

The part of our brain that regulates emotions also plays a crucial role. While watching a storytelling video, it's easy to get emotionally involved. This is due to the emotional center in our brain, where emotions are processed and where substances are released that give us different feelings after watching: happiness, fear, inspiration, sadness, relief. In short, we can empathize with the story.

Finally, there is the part of the brain that processes information. The emotions and structure of a story influence how our brains process and store information. All these elements together make storytelling an effective method to seduce people, engage them and encourage them to take action.

Inspiring examples of storytelling in videos

Let's look at some examples of videos where storytelling is an important element.

National Geographic

National Geographic, a teller of stories about science and nature since 1888, has fully embraced storytelling. They share inspiring stories through various channels, including blogs, social media, long reads and videos.

Red Bull

RedBull takes video marketing very seriously and has a YouTube channel with millions of subscribers. They regularly make impressive videos that are clearly inspired by feature films, with special use of music and sound effects.

AJAX

AJAX's marketing team in the Netherlands has been successful in storytelling through different types of content in recent years. They have everything from visuals, polls, analysis and interviews, to inspiring locker room videos and viral videos.

Interpolis

A few years ago, Interpolis released a moving video about the impact of calling and texting in traffic. The authenticity and sincerity of the story makes it powerful and recognizable, making it easy to involve the viewer.

Google, Reunion

In this heart-warming commercial from Google, an old man finds a childhood friend after 60 years thanks to his granddaughter - and Google Search. It's a great example of a feel-good story.

Squarespace, Make It

Squarespace turns a tech activity into an epic moment. Actor Keanu Reeves explains how to easily set up a website with Squarespace, all while sitting by a campfire.