Hi friend,
How are you? I hope you had a great week.
As a storyteller, you’re always on the look out for timely themes to build your stories around, right?
No major secret here, hot topics or trends that are top of mind, are prone to be more relatable and engaging.
At its extreme, this practice is also known as Newsjacking. The practice of leveraging current events or hot news stories to build a brand story around.
During the pandemic Anheuser-Busch and Uber used this tactic in their campaigns, and of course the hallmark example was the 2013’s Oreo’s super bowl blackout tweet “dunk in the dark.”
Yet, there is a difference between riding on a news story or “shiny object” tech trend to position your brand as up-to-the-times vs. addressing a dominant behavior pattern that directly affects your audience.
As I’m sure you know, any good story requires prior research.
Finding that golden nugget that represents the core problem your ideal customer faces, and bringing it to life with a story.
Two Examples
Here are two gold star examples of successful stories that were built on a single glaring research stat:
Evan | Sandy Hook Promise (2016)
Sandy Hook Promise, a non-profit organization of parents of victims of mass shooting in Newtown, CT in 2012, hired BBDO New York to develop this highly viral spot back in 2016.
Beyond the compelling False Start storytelling model, the entire story is built on a a single stat their press release shared:
“80 percent of school shooters and 70 percent of individuals who completed suicides told someone of their violent plans prior to taking action - yet no interventions were made”
So the story is all about educating viewers about the importance of paying attention to the early warning signs. And more importantly, how easy it is to miss them.
The Fun Theory “Piano Stairs” (2009)
Volkswagen Sweden and ad agency DDB Stockholm launched a viral campaign called “The Fun Theory.”
The concept was based on the idea that “fun is the easiest way to change people’s behavior for the better.”
In this case, the problem they aimed to solve was people’s dominant preference to use the escalator vs. climbing the steps in a subway station.
Missed opportunity to exercise and stay fit.
The story shows how transforming the staircase into a giant piano made a huge difference.
The number of commuters who chose the stairs over the escalator increased 66% when the stairs were musical black-and-white piano keys.
Great tactic you can easily apply to your stories as it proves a simple truth:
Deep down regardless of age, there is still a kid in all of us that won’t miss an opportunity to play :)
Why does it work?
When you tell a story that authentically and creatively mirrors your customer’s life, through her meaningful struggles, human doubts and aspirations - you easily capture attention.
“Hey, that’s my story!” Your customer will think and feel.
Done right, this in turn jells into empathy, trust and last stop - action. Or response to your ask.
Knowing all this
What is the burning kernel of truth that affects your audience?
Find that single cardinal stat and explore ways to build a story around it.
Here is a timely one you may consider tackling.
Over half of Americans — 57% — report feeling lonely, according to Loneliness in America 2025, an online survey conducted by The Cigna Group’s Evernorth Research Institute.
With Gen Z and Millennials reporting higher levels than older Americans.
I can easily see a whole campaign, supporting social events and activations built around getting people to interact more with each other where your brand makes it all possible.
While you’re at it, take this small step. Reconnect with an old friend you haven’t been in touch with for a while. You’ll be pleasantly surprised.
I do it by running a recurring meetup - the Miami Storytellers Studio and attending events to learn about new perspectives and network.
Have examples for past projects built on a glaring stat?
Feel free to share your experiences. I’m curious to see your approach.
See you next time!
Best,
- Shlomi
Shlomi Ron
Founder, Visual Storytelling Institute
story > visual > emotion > experience
shlomi@visualstorytell.com
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