OUGD503 - Responsive - Study Task 2 - Brands and Narrative

Seven basic plots of narratives

1. Overcoming the monster - there is an evil force threatening our hero/their world/mankind. The hero must fight and play this monster which often isn’t easy but prevails and gets a great reward. (Think of this monster as a problem - it is a metaphorical monster)
2. Rags to riches - at the beginning our hero is insignificant and dismissed by others, but something happens to elevate them, revealing them to be exceptional. Think the ugly duckling/Aladdin/Superman
3. The Quest - in the quest our hero must set out on a long hazardous journey and will battle all obstacles until they are triumphant. E.g. Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Wizard of Oz.
4. The Voyage and Return - while also based on a journey, the voyage and return is very different from the quest. Here the hero travels out of their normal world into the overwhelming and unknown, and then goes back to the comfort and safety of their own home. E.g. Finding Nemo, Alice in Wonderland
5. Comedy - A story made up of comedic events normally involving mistaken identity, misunderstanding or confusion, resulting in hilarious chaos. E.g. Bridget Jones, Some like it hot Comedy in advertising is often used to show the alternative situation that you would get using other brands. 
6. Tragedy - This is the story without a happy ending. While our other archetypes have seen triumphant heroes and slain monsters, this plot takes a different turn and ends in loss or death. Think Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet. Use with caution we tend to see tragedy most frequently used within charity adverts to apply shock tactics and emotional blackmail.
7. Rebirth - Sees our hero falling under a dark spell whether this is sleep, sickness or enchantment - before breaking free and being rescued. E.g. Sleeping Beauty, Beauty and the Beast. Think of the consumers time away from the brand and then finding it and being reborn.

WWF

Adjectives for the brand:

• Environmentally friendly
• Caring
• Protecting
• Strong
• Conserving

 Facts of WWF:

- 50 years old

- Works in 100 countries

- Supported by 1.2 million members in the US alone

- 5 million members globally

- Tagline "Because together, anything is possible"

What is the brand trying to communicate?

WWF tries to communicate a friendly, caring almost mothering nature. It wants to show us that it can protect and conserve the world and it's animals. The facts about this brand make it seem that it is achieving this - it has a lot of members globally and works in lots of countries. This shows that it is slowly trying to make the world a better place. 

Can you apply an emotion to the facts?

Supporting WWF can create a sense of pride for members knowing that they are helping/protecting the planet. Also in their advertising WWF can often use emotional campaigns to persuade people to donate in a sort of emotional blackmail to make people feel guilty for doing nothing. 
Can you communicate these facts in an engaging story, which highlights the values or benefits of the brand.

I think that a narrative with the theme of Rebirth would suit this brand. As we use the planet Earth as the protagonist needs the consumers help in order to be freed from its shackles almost. The dark spell it is under could be represented as global warming. This will show the brands values of protecting and preserving for the good of all.