A ray of sunlight hovered over the distant island of Nassau.

The first thing I saw in the morning were long shadows dancing off the Caribbean Sea.

The conditions on board are harsh.

And I’m not going to lie; the closest I've been to a pirate ship before was watching the Johnny Depp saga.

The relentless sun by day, the biting chill at night, the taste of salt on our lips – no 4D cinema can make you feel that way.

The ship we are aboard is a living entity; the crew knows how to react to every groan and creak of the wood against the water.

It’s their own mutual language.

To the left of me, an old hand demonstrates the art of knot-tying to a youngster, and the raw fingers of the novice struggle to mimic the dexterity of his mentor.

Everyone is always on alert; there’s always an imminent threat waiting.

Yet, there’s a shared sense of camaraderie that pulses from the ship’s wooden veins.

Stories of sea monsters, ocean nymphs, and hidden treasures echo from bearded mouths, building a bond that gives you a sense of belonging.

Spirits are high even when the tides are low.

And then comes the food - long-lasting crackers, cured meat, dried fruits.

Nothing compared to the delicacies of the land.

Yet, there's a different kind of satisfaction to it.

The coarse crackers and salty meat taste of the sea, of survival, of living on the edge.

An acquired taste, I guess, but one that speaks of adventures yet to come.

That’s when a loud roar breaks the tranquillity of mealtime.

Guess what? Shots fired.

Swords are unsheathed, muskets are loaded, and cannons are primed.

The tension is almost tangible as the deck becomes a whirlwind of activity.

Despite the chaotic turn of events, there's a sense of unspoken coordination, a symphony in the madness.

Pirates manoeuvre around each other, and their movements are almost a choreographed dance, perfected by years of similar situations.

Commands and responses blend into a song of war, rising above sea levels.

The calm sea has transformed into a battlefield, and we are in the heart of it.

That’s when I feel a gentle poke between my ribs and hear the soothing whisper:

“-Lights off, honey. It’s 1:12 AM, and we both have big meetings early tomorrow.”

In an act of obedience to the captain, I close my hardcover copy of Republic of the Pirates by Sam World on page 174.

The only wooden creak I hear now comes from the Ikea plywood of my bed frame as I reach for the light switch.

Narratives have the power of transportation.

They can open our horizons, our perspectives, and our wallets.

As a marketer or a copywriter, you can use stories to take consumers from where they are to where you want them to be.

And that destination could be buying a service, a course, a book, a pair of overpriced shoes, or a bottle of rare rum.

Get them onboard your crew and convert them into pirates.

But for that, you have to convince them to follow your journey and not be the people who wave goodbye to the ship from the harbour.

Let’s dissect a few building blocks of a powerful brand story.

First-person narration

Stories told from a first-person perspective can feel more personal and immersive.

They are a testimonial of life experiences that shape a product, showing that the brand was born out of human purpose.

“I've been an adventurer all my life, climbing some of the world's highest peaks and braving some of its most unforgiving terrains. Every time I design a new product, I think about my own experiences. How cold it was at the top of the Andes. The intense sun in the Sahara. The piercing wind in Patagonia.”

After that punch of personal credibility, I’m not sure about you, but I can’t swipe my credit card on any other outdoor wear.

Beyond just the brand story, the same goes for the stories the brand tells of its products.

Patagonia doesn’t talk about its tech fleece, insulating mesh, and nano puff insulation.

They tell you first-person stories.

Instead of diving headfirst into selling your product, tell the story of what led you to come up with it from a first-person perspective.

A good technique for writing in the first person is to fool yourself into thinking you're writing a video script.

You don't ever need to record it, but just the act of thinking and crafting something for you to say makes it authentic.

You cut the fluff of words you'd never use, leading to a more personal written piece.

Consistent Theme

This is not so much a single-story technique but a broader strategy for multiple stories.

Maintaining consistency with your theme is one of the most potent things you can do to build brand identity.

With sustained effort over time, a brand can become synonymous with a given theme.

If you work in Marketing or live in the UK, it's nearly impossible to think of Christmas without thinking of John Lewis.

This retail store has captured this theme with fantastic stories year after year.

Grown-ups anticipate their commercials like kids do for Santa.

This is my favourite one:

And here’s an archive with all of them

Ask yourself what theme you want to associate your brand with.

What event/theme/colour/type of humour you want to be remembered by?

Escapism

Don't just sell a benefit; invite people to escape into the world that embodies the ultimate benefit of your product.

This technique, widely used by brands, invites you to journey from your current state to a metaphorical one.

When Tesla proclaims, 'Driving Towards a Greener Tomorrow', it extends an invitation to leave behind today's guilt of environmental impact caused by fossil fuel consumption.

When Lululemon suggests 'Discover Your Inner Zen', it offers you a route of escape from your chaotic world to inner peace, symbolized by overpriced yoga mats.

When IKEA announces 'The Wonderful Everyday', it promises an escape from the mundanity of daily life at home, transforming it into something extraordinary.

When Mastercard proclaims, 'Priceless', it offers an escape from materialism, reminding you that the best things in life can't be bought.

To the examples off, Dove presents a compelling example, inviting us to escape a fabricated perception of unrealistic beauty standards and return to what it should be with their 'Real Beauty' motto.

Historical or Cultural context

Building your brand story, or crafting a story for your brand to tell (there’s a significant difference between the two, which might merit its own discussion) on top of historical or cultural contexts, lends it a sense of depth and credibility.

I was once gifted a bottle of rum called ‘Burla Negra’ by a very good friend of mine.

This is a sea-salted rum.

Not only is it delicious, but the story behind why it is sea-salted is even more fascinating.

(Translated from Spanish)

"If there were experts in rum, they were the pirates - they had the privilege of drinking the world's finest.

As per the legend, during their prolonged voyages, pirates sailed with their holds filled with barrels - these contained water for cooking and, of course, rum, copious amounts of rum - as much as they could consume during their journey.

When these barrels were depleted, they were filled with seawater to serve as ballast, ensuring the ship's stability.

And being consummate pirates, they seized every opportunity to steal more rum, replacing the seawater in the barrels with the finest rum they could lay their hands on.

This process lent the rum a unique saltiness, borne of its contact with the sea and this treasured elixir.

Our Burla Negra Rum, through rigorous research, revives this forgotten tradition, crafting a rum with a distinct saline character that is unlike anything you've tasted before.

It is a truly authentic pirate rum."

I don't know about you, but I already have plans for my Sunday indulgence.

TL;DR

Brand narratives have the power of transportation

Techniques explored:

- First-person narration
- Escapism
- Consistent theme
- Cultural context

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