How Nike and Apple Created Think Different Ads

The core idea of multi-narrative storytelling involves identifying a central message or concept that resonates with the audience and then expanding on it through a series of complementary stories. While each narrative can stand alone, together they create a comprehensive and compelling representation of the brand's identity and message.

Two major brands that have successfully utilized multi-narrative storytelling in their marketing campaigns are Nike and Apple. Both brands have managed to create a global impact with their advertisements, encouraging consumers to connect with the brand on a personal level.

By using multiple storylines, these giants have enabled their campaigns to resonate with a wide range of individuals, allowing for broader appeal and deeper emotional connections. During the podcast, Melina and Dr. Troy Campbell discuss how both Nike's "Just Do It" and Apple's "Think Different" campaigns are prime examples of effective multi-narrative storytelling. Companies can learn valuable lessons from these successful brands and apply the same techniques to their own business strategies. This episode will help you to:

• Uncover the power of multi-narrative storytelling in enhancing brand communication.
• Master the art of crafting a compelling personal brand identity through diverse stories.
• Grasp the importance of themes, metaphors, and language in creating engaging narratives.
• Cater to diverse customer groups by implementing a multi-narrative approach.
• Gain insights from storytelling techniques employed by successful companies.

• 00:00:00 - Introduction, Dr. Troy Campbell is back on The Brainy Business podcast (one of our few three-peat guests!) to talk about multi-narrative storytelling, building on his background as a former Disney Imagineer and Netflix Consumer Insights employee.
• 00:05:02 - Shades of Black, Troy talks about how Netflix uses different shades of black to differentiate importance cues on their platform.
• 00:11:19 - Definition of Multi-Narrative Storytelling, Multi-narrative storytelling involves telling a core story or idea through multiple complementary narratives. Nike and Apple's famous ad campaigns, "Just Do It" and "Think Different," are examples of multi-narrative storytelling.
• 00:13:48 - Nike and Apple as Examples, The "Think Different" campaign started as a multi-narrative by showcasing the “misfits” and “rebels” who changed the world.
• 00:15:10 - The Power of Multi-Narrative Storytelling, Multi-narrative storytelling is about getting a core idea across. It involves creating a core story that is the center of your messaging, which is surrounded by different stories that are used to convey your message. This technique involves using narratives that have associations with your brand that the audience will recognize. (As an example in the Apple campaign, showing a picture of Einstein is powerful because of the associations we all have with him and what his image means.)
• 00:16:52 - Core Idea of Multi-Narrative Storytelling, The core idea of multi-narrative storytelling is to create a cause-and-effect story. It involves telling a story that explains who you are and what you're trying to achieve, and then surrounding that story with other narratives that support your message. You can use existing stories or create original ones.
• 00:19:15 - Using Existing Stories as Associations, Multi-narrative storytelling can involve using existing stories as associations to convey your message. This technique involves using stories that your audience is already familiar with and borrowing elements of those stories to support your message. This approach makes it easier for your audience to understand and relate to your message.
• 00:22:28 - The Power of Metaphor and Semiotics, Metaphor, semiotics, and word choice allow for a deeper level of understanding of how to convey messages. Using these techniques and creating a multi-narrative story around them can make the messaging more powerful and effective.
• 00:30:36 - Multi-Narrative Storytelling, The concept of multi-narrative storytelling involves creating a core story with multiple examples or narratives that support it. This approach allows for flexibility in communication and can be used to convey complex or abstract ideas. Multi-narrative storytelling is useful in branding, marketing, and other areas of business where a clear and compelling message is necessary.
• 00:32:19 - Just Do It, Nike's "Just Do It" slogan is specific enough to be relatable and broad enough to appeal to a wide range of audiences. This approach can be applied to other branding or marketing efforts by creating a core story that is supported by multiple narratives or examples.
• 00:38:01 - Branding, Effective branding involves creating a core story that is supported by multiple narratives or examples. This approach allows for flexibility in communication and can help to appeal to a wider range of audiences. The branding of The Brainy Business podcast is an example of this approach, using a fun and relatable logo to convey complex ideas.
• 00:41:29 - Thesis and Proof, Effective marketing involves creating a clear thesis and using specific examples to prove it. This approach can be used to convey complex or abstract ideas to a wider audience. The selection of imagery, titles, and stories should support the thesis and help to prove its validity.
• 00:47:12 - The Power of Storytelling, The way Troy implements his “scientific mind and artistic heart” approach can help businesses understand and leverage techniques from other companies like Disney or Nike to improve their own storytelling strategies.
• 00:47:43 - Multi-Narrative Storytelling, Companies can use multi-narrative storytelling to tie together narratives within their own organization, for the benefit of both customers and employees. Understanding the stories woven within a brand is essential for weaving them together to make a great brand.
• 00:48:37 - Related Episodes, Other podcast episodes relating to storytelling include David Paull on behavioral storytelling, Dr. Michelle Auerbach, and Sam Evans. These episodes and their related materials are linked below.
• 00:49:10 - Conclusion,  Melina's top insights from the conversation. What stuck with you while listening to the episode? What are you going to try? Come share it with Melina on social media -- you'll find her as @thebrainybiz everywhere and as Melina Palmer on LinkedIn.

Thanks for listening. Don’t forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Android. If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show. 

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Check out and get your copies of Melina’s Books. 

Get the Books Mentioned on (or related to) this Episode:

• Choice Hacking, by Jennifer Clinehens
• What Your Customer Wants and Can’t Tell You, by Melina Palmer
• The Experience Maker, by Dan Gingiss
• Blindsight, by Matt Johnson and Prince Ghuman
• Alchemy, by Rory Sutherland

Top Recommended Next Episode: The Science of Cool, with Troy Campbell (ep 169)

Already Heard That One? Try These: 

• Flip The Script! With Troy Campbell (ep 253)
• Why We Like The Things We Like, with Prince Ghuman (ep 172)
• Disney: Behavioral Economics Analysis (ep 292)
• Starbucks: Behavioral Economics Analysis (ep 278)
• Costco: Behavioral Economics Analysis (ep 47)
• Peloton: Behavioral Economics Analysis (ep 86)
• Choice Hacking, with Jennifer Clinehens (ep 141)
• Social Proof (ep 87)
• Priming (ep 252)
• Peak-End Rule (ep 97)
• Get Your D.O.S.E. of Brain Chemicals (ep 123)
• Surprise and Delight (ep 276)
• The Life-Saving Skill of Story, with Michelle Auerbach (ep 288)

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