There are a lot of ways to tell a good story and interactive media creates even more opportunities. See how Harley-Davidson uses video on the web (and keen sense of the times) to remind boomers what the famous brand has always been about.
From Page 88
Storytelling
If you stop to think about it, stories are one of the most effective ways to evoke human emotions. From childhood on, we love to hear stories. They make us happy, sad, excited, intrigued, scared, and content. Stories engage us. But stories aren't simply told through text, especially online with its variety of interactive experiences - photos, video, games, calculators, and a vast number of other types of widgets can all be used to portray multiple facets of a story. And of course, in most marketing campaigns, you are not necessarily trying to tell a story in a "once upon a time" sense. Instead, you are conveying a message about a person, an event, and an outcome - in other words, an experience. By nature, humans relate to other human experiences. Jonathan and I know that we are not the only ones hooked on storytelling. In a 2006 blog post, marketing guru Seth Godin wrote, "Great stories succeed because they are able to capture the imagination of large, important audiences. A great story is true. Not necessarily because it's factual, but because it's consistent and authentic." Consider the following description of the introductory animation on Harley-Davidson's website:
A deep male voice begins with, "Over the last 105 years in the saddle, we've seen conflicts, recession, resistance, and revolutions. But every time, this country has come out stronger because chrome and asphalt put distance between you and whatever the world could throw at you." The sound of a signature Harley engine fades in while the narration continues. "And the rumble of an engine drowns out all the spin on the evening news. If 105 years have proved one thing, it's that fear sucks (and it doesn't last long)." Then, the sound of a motorcycle taking off blares while the voice proclaims, "So screw it. Let's ride." Text animates onto the screen during the narration, while strong words such as "conflict, recession, resistance, and revolution" pop out at the viewer, accompanied by silhouettes of engines and muscles. The type is set on a gritty, yellowed piece of paper. In the background is an open desert road that leads to a mountain. This animation presents a story, engulfing the viewer in a multisensory experience of riding a Harley-Davidson to escape from all the troubles in the world. It draws us in. We want to know what's going to happen, how the story will unfold and how it will end. It connects with our emotions of stress and fear. We can relate to the desire to simply get away from it all, in this case by hopping on a Harley. Most important, it positions Harley-Davidson as the solution to the problem - it empowers our escape.
