What advertising storytellers can learn from a model airplane and a prayer
Yesterday, I had the honor of being the keynote presenter for the National Ad2 Mid-year Retreat in Phoenix. Instead of speaking, I chose to share a remarkable story with the young advertising pros to underscore how powerful “Story” is in our craft.
How did a prayer and this model plane change a life forever? View the SlideShare presentation below.
Then I challenged them to write their own personal story, and to focus on what truly great things they would like to accomplish. And when I say “Great,” I mean something out-of-this-world that is bigger than themselves. All compelling protagonists, “You!”, want to achieve something grand. But you’re going to have to go through hell to get it.
The essence of story is revaled in what tests your character, and those who help you along the way. I believe the sooner you begin crafting and telling your own story, the more powerful a storyteller you will become for your agency and your clients.
So I decided to do something different with my presentation. There is only one slide about our agency. There are NO slides showing our work. The bulk of the presentation was simply a tale;
The true story of a long-deceased fighter pilot who answers a prayer from his daughter following 9/11 in the most miraculous and tangible way.
What does this have to do with advertising? Read the story (be sure to click on the presenter notes for the script) and you’ll find out.
Storyteller or Marketer? It Pays to be Both.
View more presentations from Park Howell.
Following my presentation, I gave the crowd this StorytellingWorksheet to help them craft and tell their stories. Then I challenged them to post their stories below in the comments. Congratulations in advance to those of you with the industry and guts to share your story with the world. Believe me, it’s the only way you’re going to change it for the better.
If you got the strength, download the Storytelling Worksheet, (Here are the brief instructions) fill it out, and share YOUR story below. Then, see where it takes you.
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For 18 years, Park Howell has been the owner and chief storyteller of Park&Co, an advertising agency in Phoenix, AZ that exists to build movements that matter.
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November 9, 2010 at 10:47 am
The protagonist is me. I am a passionate recent college graduate searching for my place in the world that I hope to influence in a powerful way. Eight months ago I found myself at the height of what I considered my \career\. I had eveything going for me: college degree, amazing girlfriend, finally moved out of my parents and the first job in my career (yes I found a job in a down economy).
The opportunities were overwhelming. I felt I could do no wrong and the world was my playground. Then I found myself in a job I knew nothing about with high expectations that received no satisfaction. The biggest challenge was overcoming my overly enthusiastic ego that had been growing ever since the passing of my first portfolio review. Going from feeling the world was my canvas to confused as to why I couldn’t conquer the world as I so hoped was one of the most daunting experiences I’ve ever faced.
In this story, I became the antagonist after receiving continuous resistance for my ideas at work and leaving my girlfriend, I felt my world imploding. NOTE: For a good three months I considered eveybody an antogonnist to my goals and future. The empire, as I came to call it, that I worked so hard to build and eveything I thought I knew about advertising and life demanded a dramatic re-evaluation.
Half way through the summer I had to move back to my parents (ego-crusher number two). Going back to my parents made me feel like a failure on numerous levels. However, using what I learned from college, I wrote a SWOT analysis for my own life. Re-valuaing my own strengths and weaknesses and what went wrong in my first look at the opportunities and threats in the environment around me. The environment I worked in, lived in and socialized in.
Realizing I hated my job and money (though I made almost nothing) was not going to make me happy. I decided to find a part time job and resign from my position to be home. At the time there were a lot of health issues going on which made my 32 mile commute more and more difficult.
Currently, I am in the process of finding a new full time position in an organization more in line with my new and improved goals and happier than ever since graduation.
This story is not complete because I am still searching for career happiness and the balance between work and family. This past weekend I listened to Mr. Howell at the Ad2 Midyear Retreat and it truly helped me move forward in my understanding of what it means to be a communicator in the digital and social age.
Thank you Mr. Howell
November 9, 2010 at 12:33 pm
Awesome story, Charles. Thank you for taking the lead and sharing your world with us. Winston Churchill once said, “If you find yourself going through hell, just keep going.” You’re doing a great job, and every interesting story has tremendous conflict in it that you, the protagonist, most overcome. I loved how you used the SWOT analysis on your life as a weapon to tame the antagonist that is the no-promises world we live in.
Well done. Keep forging ahead, and definitely let us know how it turns out.
March 24, 2011 at 6:56 am
[...] to share an encore storytelling workshop I ran for the national AD2 organization last fall called, “Storyteller or Marketer? It Pays to be Both.” It’s about using the power of story to develop their marketing careers. Here are event [...]