The Sleuths

I’ve spent 1000s of hours studying the top 0.2% of storytellers. People like Tolkien, Rowling and Jobs. Here’s what I learned: *** Start with the end in mind What do you want the outcome of your story to be? • Reader falling in love with a character • Customer buying a product • Friend laughing hilariously • Investor giving you money If you start with the end in mind, the intro and middle naturally funnel to that target. *** Shape your story Humans gravitate to structure. Luckily there are tons to wrap around your story: • Rags to Riches • Story Circle • Origin The goal of a story structure is to let the characters shine through. The attached image is the actual plot outline JK Rowling created for the 5th Harry Potter. *** Lead with action Most people amble on in backstory for 10 minutes. This is a waste of time. Find the interesting parts of your story, jump right to it, and provide as little backstory as possible. *** Make it emotional People make decisions based on emotion. But it’s impossible to make your audience feel everything. Nail down 1-2 emotions and direct the entire story to amplify those. *** Build a world Tolkien said: “The story maker proves a successful sub-creator. They make a secondary world which your mind can enter.” A few tips to create your world: • Name ideas • Define your pillars • Create shared language (you don’t need to create a brand new language like Tolkien did!) Think about all the words you learned from the Harry Potter world: muggle, the spells, dementor, and many more. Naming is an excellent way to pull people into the world you’ve built. *** Sell the transformation Great storytelling is about change. When Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone, he said: “Every once and a while, a revolutionary product comes around that changes the world.” He didn’t promise apps or amazing cameras — he promised change. *** Slow down Before your story’s climax, pause to force your audience to lean in. When speaking, stop talking for 3 seconds. When writing, make your paragraphs longer, add more sensory details, and layer on the drama. Force your audience to hang on to every word. *** Build to one moment The entire story should be designed to amplify one moment. But what is the moment about? Change — I once was this, but now I’m this. *** Develop your own creative process JK Rowling uses outlines. Stephen King doesn’t. Neil Gaiman writes every day. George RR Martin doesn’t. Brandon Sanderson writes best at 11pm. William Faulkner at 9am. The lesson? Do you, but be consistent. *** I hope you enjoyed that. If you want to become a better purpose-driven storyteller, check out my newly released Storytelling: Zero to One with 180+ other professionals. Just hit the 'visit my website' in bio to learn more.

Ad insight - Create a Villain Nikon's viral campaign positions AI as a massive existential threat to itself, humanity, and the world. Powerful enemy, compelling story. Now Nikon isn't just another camera company. It's fighting the good fight. “Don’t give up on the real world.” PS: Follow The Sleuths for daily great ads!

Ad insight — Be the painkiller, not the vitamin. Painkillers are "need to have." But vitamins are "nice to have." One solves a need, the other improves an existing solution. Guess which one people are more likely to purchase? Yep, and McDonald's knows too. So they made Coke a painkiller in this brilliant ad. “102 reasons to refresh yourself." PS: Follow The Sleuths for daily great ads!

Ad insight — Contrast creates interest. There aren’t two groups more different than supermodels in London and dads in Ohio. Yet this ad helped put New Balance back on the map. Three takeaways: 1. Be different, not better. 2. Make it simple to make it memorable. 3. “The best ideas come as jokes.” — Ogilvy PS: Follow The Sleuths for daily great ads!

David Ogilvy has a saying: "The best ideas come as jokes. Make your thinking as funny as possible." McDonald's, Father's Day 2021. PS: Follow The Sleuths for daily great ads!

Ad insight - Make it meme-able. As part of a movie trailer, Barbie and Ken both get arrested. She looks terrified. He thinks it's hilarious. The Barbie movie team knows exactly what they're doing. They dropped a viral meme template in the middle of a movie trailer. A marketing masterclass. PS: Follow The Sleuths for daily great ads!

Ad insight - People buy better versions of themselves. In Mario games, you get a mushroom and become a bigger Mario. You may even throw fireballs. You may have seen the marketing comparison. You don't sell the mushroom. You sell the big, fire-throwing Mario. That's what Gold's does so well here. PS: Follow The Sleuths for daily great ads!

Ad insight — Turn failure into success. The Pratfall Effect: People who admit small flaws are more relatable. “Nobody’s perfect.” Porsche, 1983 PS: Follow The Sleuths for daily great ads!

In German, this ad reads “Protect the wildlife before it’s too late.” It’s brilliant for many reasons: 1. Highlights abrupt pattern disruption 2. Uses Twitter (“X”) logo to signal extinction PS: Follow The Sleuths for daily great ads!

Ad insight - Create a mystery. What’s the pink goat? You must know. So you go to Google: “pink goat Apple TV” Boom, you’re hit with a special offer to join Apple TV and an article about Messi. If you’re a soccer fan, you know the goat is Messi. But millions of Americans aren’t. This may be their first interest in the sport. Apple uses that to their advantage. Bonus: Apple sent this super hi-def image to Adage to make sure the billboard went viral. PS: Follow The Sleuths for daily great ads!