Create an Irresistible and Magnetic Brand Using Storytelling A case study of how one company turned a sad ad campaign into a winner with staying power.

I was sitting in a room full of highly paid and talented marketing folks for one of the largest brands in the world. Ideas for new marketing campaigns were flowing out of them and sticking to the whiteboard like darts at a local pub. I stood in awe at the sheer volume of ideas this room was able to create in minutes. Over the next hour, they whittled down the list and landed on the final idea with the skill of a surgeon. The arguments for it were strong, and the team was convinced this was the one.

Fast-forward to a month later, those same marketers were all huddled around a table. Their campaign had failed to hit its target and they were frantically trying to figure out why. This is where I decided to speak up. I cleared my throat and asked if I could chime in. A bead of sweat was dripping down my forehead like a Formula One race car speeding down a track.

I shared the ad on the screen and stood up next to it. I asked a simple question: "How does this ad make you feel?" Silence fell over the room. They began explaining what it meant and how creative the ad was. I didn't respond. I then asked again, "But how does it make you feel?" We sat in silence again for 10 seconds that felt like four hours.