Welcome back to the countdown of 50 Brands With Amazing Brand Stories. I adore storytelling and there’s nothing I love more than coming across a business with a great brand stories to tell.
Today we continue the countdown by looking at 30-21, but should you wish to see the other editions… 50 – 41 l 40 – 31 l 30 – 21 l 20 – 11 l 10 – 1
40: Trader Joe’s
If you like life a little quirky, look no further than Trader Joe’s. The story they share is very simple but fits perfectly with the brand on offer.
It’s a quick, fun, little read that tells you everything you need to know about where they are where they’ve come from.
I especially like the timeline which offers a lovely insight into the key going-ons over the last fifty-years. This is pretty darn simple, but it’s effective and stays true to who they are.
This demonstrates that you don’t need a complex web page with impressive graphics or features galore.
It’s simple but it works with what they’re trying to achieve. If you always focus on the true nature of the story and do something only you can, good things will happen – fancy or not.
39: Jones Soda
Having worked for a summer camp in Kentucky for eight summers there’s little more I enjoy than sitting on a porch as the sun goes down with a Jones Soda in hand.
The story in this instance doesn’t come via a video or well designed site, rather how they showcase their product. Each label doesn’t only carry the Jones Soda brand, but a picture from customers and fans alike.
Some are beautiful, others fun, and a few are plain crazy and weird. What it does is create a huge amount of character that people love and follow. I think the company could showcase this better on their site, but the story is pretty darn good regardless.
Involve your audience and great things happen. Jones Soda proves this. Trust me, people know of them as much for the labels as the drink itself.
38: Graze
When I first saw the Graze advert appear on TV I took notice. It caught my attention as an interesting idea, but the execution was brilliant. It’s difficult to share an interesting story in a few short seconds, but this Graze commercial hits the nail on the healthy and organic head.
The story on the website is very short and simple, but the video is the true selling point. It isn’t often a TV Advert works as a means of sharing a story, but on this occasion it does.
However, although the video is great, it can never tell the entire tale.
I’d like to see more, and if you look on their site I’m sure you’ll understand my point of view. The style is great, and the foundations are set, but more could be achieved with a little more digging.
37: Ben & Jerry’s
There are certain brands that stand out and are well known for a particular style and method. Ben & Jerry’s most certainly fit into this category, and no matter how you come across them, they offer a certain… ‘quality‘.
It’s important, then, that whatever story Ben & Jerry’s shares aligns with who they are and what they do. In my humble opinion they achieve this in abundance.
It’s fun, quirky, lively, and carries everything that you would expect from the Ben & Jerry’s brand. The style…the wording…the overall essence…it works in a way that only they can execute.
The cartoon feel is fun and quirky and full of energy. The colours are immense and the font is playful. They want you to eat through your eyes, and although it’s still fairly simple and minimal, they share a great deal regardless.
36: Facebook
As one of the largest and most unpredictable brand’s on the planet, Facebook certainly has a story worth sharing.
I wasn’t expecting a great deal to be honest, but I was surprised at how good it was. As I’m sure you can imagine it’s set via a Facebook Timeline, which is a great way to showcase a story in a simple and effective manner – for any brand.
They use videos to good effect with contributions from fans, and it all comes together to form a wonderful tale, which let’s face it, is a generational one. I know the Social Network was a popular movie, but it doesn’t follow the true journey. This does.
Who knows where Facebook will be in ten years time. It’s interesting to see where they’ve come in the last ten, though, and it helps you love them fully or hate them completely. Which camp are you in?
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35: Coca Cola
Some brands are so big they’re always going to be scrutinised and given a hard time. Coca Cola are one of these, but their story is top-notch. You can’t deny this!.
The Coca Cola Journey website offers EVERYTHING you could ever need, which is probably why it’s so low down on this list. It’s so big that it’s easy to get lost, and to be honest, it becomes a little empty and lifeless.
It is a grand story though, and the animated video is great (although an update is probably in order). With such a vast history it’s difficult not to lose yourself in this timeline. I certainly suggest an hour or so searching the archives and recalling a few childhood memories.
The old adverts that delve into the past, the numerous stories from years gone by, and the nostalgia is brilliant. Coke fan or not, it’s hard to hate.
34: Litograph
My love for this brand is fairly new having discovered it toward the backend of 2012. I immediately fell head over heals for it, and the video on Kickstarter is enough for Litograph to make this list.
This is a brand that cares about quality and it shines through via their great video. It also follows the get-one/give-one model, providing books for each poster sold.
There’s still much to share from this company, and I hope the story is updated and improved upon shortly. It’s a fantastic journey regardless, even though the full tale has yet to be unearthed.
Books play an important role in life, and most people have a special place in their heart for a good novel. Litographs takes this to the next level by providing the book in poster and t-shirt form.
The behind the scenes insight is damn fun, too. Seriously, check this up-and-coming brand out.
33: Budweiser
If you’re a fan of TV Adverts like myself, Budweiser is a company you no-doubt like. Every year they seem to create at least one example of AMAZING, and their story surrounds these great efforts.
Like the Coca Cola Journey website, this too is large, but it somehow keeps the brand together in a much more effective manner.
It’s an epic story told on epic levels, therefore it’s easy to get lost, but they manage to keep you on track at all times. Very impressive.
Whether you enjoy their beverages or not (I can’t say I do) it’s a story worth following. Again, like Coca Cola, there are lots of adverts that takes you back in time, provides humour, and the odd WOW moment here and there.
Grand and beyond what most of us can achieve, but inspiring nevertheless.
32: Book Bus
What an amazing organisation this is, and although it’s a quick and simple story, it captures everything it needs to in brilliant fashion.
Everything about this is charming and lovely, and when you stop to think about what it aims to achieve, it evokes some true emotion
Such an important part of any story is to get those involved feeling something, and The Book Bus does this in an instant.
The tale alone is inspiring, so rather than trying to make it flashy and impressive, they get to the point and let you see what it is they do. This, in my opinion, is important.
Less is often more, and for The Book Bus they don’t need much to prove their point. The elegance is in the tale. Don’t waste time on anything else.
31: Mamahuhu
As much as I like videos, I love it when a brand can showcase who they are with a few simple images and text. Mamahuhu (try and say that fast) achieves this with a page of pictures and around 150 words.
They show you how their shoes are made and introduce you to the people behind them. When dealing with this brand you know immediately that you’re not getting any old shoe or bag, but something that has been carefully crafted especially for you.
Like I say, so much is achieved here with very little indeed. It’s quaint and I love it. Good job, guys, good job.
In my opinion this is one of the better examples of a minimalistic approach. Simple but powerful all the same. Much can be achieved with the right approach and this example proves it.
There you have it, the first twenty brands done, which means next week we pass the midway point.
I hope you’ll join me next week as the countdown continues, and if you’ve yet to do so, make sure you check out the other editions in this series of awesome brand stories: 50 – 41 l 40 – 31 l 30 – 21 l 20 – 11 l 10 – 1
hi, i’m turndog and I wrote this article … i am a writer, ghostwriter, anti-hustler & a guy on a mission to ensure you too escape the hustle — come be part of the [no hustle] movement
