28/03/2025
We tell stories to explain the world around us, to get closer to others, to make more sense of our experiences.
We do it, almost instinctively, from the moment we learn to put words together.
The first story I remember telling was about a pirate looking for Treasure Island. He followed the map, arrived at the mythical X and found a chest... full of junk. With no gold, sad and frustrated, he decided to leave. With him, he took great friends, many adventures and good memories.
I remember wrapping up with a beautiful, classic cliché: “the treasure was, after all, the journey”.
At the time, I was still far from studying communication or the concepts that would later become part of my vocabulary. Like branding, call to action or hero's journey. But this 3rd grade essay, although not exactly original or innovative, is strangely effective and fulfils some basic storytelling assumptions: Character. Objective. Conflict/problem. Message.
Over coffee with friends, at the dinner table with the family, or in an advertising campaign, we know that those who are listening are looking for a “well-told” story.
With a beginning, middle and end. One that makes sense and, ideally, makes them feel some type of way.
In life, or in marketing, we don't want people who listen for the sake of listening; nor do we want to talk just for the sake of talking. Just the other day I read that “copy doesn't have to be an explosion of creativity”.
And it doesn't. From the simplest narratives, like the one about the pirate, to the most complex and elaborate, the main objective of any storyteller is to capture attention, arouse interest, create desire and, finally, motivate action (the much-talked-about 'AIDA' concept).
On a day-to-day basis, as a copywriter, I know that the characters, objectives, problems and messages vary. They can be “big brands”, small businesses, products or concepts. The storyteller has to ensure that the main character has a well-defined and solid identity.
With clear purposes, aligned with its mission, values and vision. This is the only way to tell good stories: authentic, coherent, inspiring and meaningful.
After all, this is where the true power of storytelling lies.
