Storytelling In Advertising A Passe Thirty seconds or less to tell a story of an idea (read product/service) is what advertising is all about,

held ad gurus for long. A unique perceptual space in the minds of the buying prospect is created by an astutely told story. Sometimes subtle, at times flamboyant life like ad copies surely arrest, creative directors insisted. Fast forward to the ads made post millennium and the doubts start cropping. Today ad copy is to be direct; brand name must be repeated umpteen times and the design eye catching, whether it catches on with the concept of the campaign is insouciant. Creative briefs have indeed metamorphosised. Barring the nomenclature, the briefs handed out are nowhere near creativity. The copy now is a public announcement bragging about the benefits of the brand instead of a brand immersed in slices of life. Countless celebrities pompously announce their association with the brand as if that is the single most fetching point in the product. That compels me to wonder if storytelling in advertising is pass Not so long ago, Copywriting was a viewed with awe and admiration for it indeed was crafty to weave a story around your brand which will leave an indelible mark on human mind. As copy formats found new horizons visuals appointed themselves as the new custodians of storytelling. A written word or a picture, the story was an ad. A dramatic sequel of a wedding extravaganza showcasing the protagonist(bride) giving in to the innate pleasure of enjoying a chocolate as a little girl on the threshold of a new life lingers in the memory and melts in the mouth as dairy milk chocolate. The tale of devdaas Paaro hums on radio time and again reeling off slices of life. Saas Bahu tiffs, father son conflicts, the stories of success and despair, the affairs to remember, the occasion unforgettable, sarcasm, embarrassment, courage, and fantasy were all situations in life which found an undeniable place in ads. Reality bites followed the ad fraternity much before Barkha Dutt soared up the charts with her show. The Ad world knew.

All creative media borrows heavily from life. Films are miniature versions of life and advertisements are mini films. How to narrate a tale in snapshot time and make it click is the trick. An Ad is a web of story telling with al the strings intricately attached. The sheer magic of weaving the word web with visuals gives you a kick in advertising. That kick gives the product a kick start in the product galore. Does it? Maybe or maybe a thing of the past. At least Martin Sorrell and his troupe of marketing wizards push the theory. Advertising witnessed a revolution when a stubborn chinned, determined Martin Sorrel, Chairman WPP, made his stormy entry into the creative world. His mantra was clear. Instructions candid. Make the product sell, advertising or other promotional gimmicks, play all the tricks up your sleeves to put your product on the top, he said. Thus entered direct marketing into the advertising domain. Suddenly there was a flurry of marketing schemes enticing the customer into immediate action. Short and crisp, the ad format is straight sell, period. The influence is noticeable. Today the advertising space and time is being continuously squeezed out. The message strategy has undergone a radical change. Do not experiment with lines, sound or sight, slap the message hard and clear. Finesse is clearly missing. The story does not end here. Storytelling in advertising is increasing giving way to talking the product aloud. The new brigade vehemently attacks, stories in ads are a waste, lets hit the target audience hard and in haste. Time is money; save ad time and divert it into other marketing communication activities. The message is loud and clear. Audience (read the IIM bandwagon) has no time to sit and savour your slices of life. All they want is the name of the product with juicy schemes thrown in good measure. Not to forget the hoard of celebrities claiming the validity of the product. Sorrells Men counter the high recall of stories in ads by the recall value of using celebrities. The smug smile says it all. No place for creatively told tales closer to life in ads. Its all about selling the product flat. The old school cringes at the thought. What is going on? No storytelling? What is left in advertising? They fume. What is an

advertisement after all? A challenge to create a situation true to life wherein a story full of action, drama, humor or human interest establishes a bond with the audience. The ad effortlessly enters yours life. Its not an artificial intervention, but an extension of self. Yes indeed, its not easy but then making ads is no cakewalk. Its a specialists job. The creative department in advertising does not get fat green packets for nothing. They are skilled professionals who create a relationship between people and products, and a lasting one. A sense of empathy, some vicarious emotions secure an abstract yet tensile bond. The fear is pointless. The storyteller knows its never a battle for space between the story and the brand but aesthetic motley of all exclusively for the brand .Those who question the balance need to go back to life. Boardrooms wont help but a trip to the world around surely will. Arguments notwithstanding, the Sorrel brigade is persistent. Marketing departments are expanding and creative finding less and less to work in and at. The lines between advertising and marketing are rapidly blurring. One must admit with the onslaught of market obsessed money driven crop, ads sans stories are ruling the roost. The presence of subtle creativity in advertising is gravely threatened. The question arises. Should the creative fraternity, the original ad makers, hang up their boots? So should we, the firm believers in small kissa- kahani in ad to evoke vicarious response in the audience should be up in arms and stand doubly committed to reinstate storytelling in ads. Let the maverick in us refuse to give in to the whims and fancies of pinstriped suited marketing gurus. Its time we get our act together and stage a comeback. Celebrities white lies cant control advertising. Ads are not to be looked up to, or to feed into greed but an urge, a desire a need to be satisfied. Ads are a part of our lives. Let another Fevicol, one more Asian Paints hit the worldharder this time around.