Welcome back to the countdown of 50 Brands With Amazing Brand Stories. I’ve shared some of my favourite brand stories so far, but now we see who gets the grand prize.
Today we look at 10-1, which means YES, we see who my favourite story around belongs to. Should you wish to see the previous editions, do so here: 50 – 41 l 40 – 31 l 30 – 21 l 20 – 11
10: Ian Schon
I came across Ian and his amazing skills via Kickstarter, and as soon as I saw his video I knew it was one I would follow closely – he was extremely successful by the way.
Ian lives a simple life of crafting cool projects, but his video – and story in general – immerses you deep into his world. It’s hard to make pens interesting but he achieves it with utter ease.
I dare you not to love this video. Go on, I dare you!
In many ways it’s incomplete and his story has only just begun, but the video more than makes up for any undoing. It’s one of the most quaint and evocative ones I’ve come across, and in a few short minutes you feel connected with Ian, his tools, and the pens he so lovingly crafts.
Like I say, I dare you not to love this.
9: Dollar Shave Club
I know, I know, I’m a sucker for good videos. I can’t help it, I love the moving-picture world, especially when it moves ME
The Dollar Shave Club shows us that it doesn’t always have to be artistic or full of effects, sometimes pure hilarity is enough.
A large part of any story is standing out. We’re faced with many each day, so having a unique element or two helps.
On this occasion it’s humour, but there are no rules as to what evokes a response. The Dollar Shave Club certainly does this with a rather crude, rough, and outrageously perfect video.
Shaving isn’t exciting. It’s also saturated with a few huge corporate giants. They faced a tough task but have gathered a legion of loyal supporters with a great story. This is the power of the tale, folks.
8: Imogene + Willie
There isn’t much else to say other than WOW.
The Imogen + Willie video isn’t your usual video, rather a documentary fit for the cinema screen (or maybe a 1970’s Drive-In).
It’s lovely and simple and everything in between, and although many brands couldn’t do justice to this approach, many others could.
I’d like to see the text below the video broken up with images and other videos, but it’s a heck of a tale that evokes real feeling. Head into the past, work your way to the present, and be part of their future. This is a brand that invites you in and wants to know more about you.
Give in and do what they ask. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed. This is pretty close to perfection!
7: Sharpie
Having worked at a Summer Camp for several summers I know how amazing Sharpies can be – and how certain people literally treat them like ink-filled deities.
I love their timeline story, and although it’s one of the simplest I’ve come across, and although it starts at the present instead of the beginning, it’s perfectly ‘Sharpie’ and hard to resist.
It would be easy to add new features and provide a professional style, but they’ve stayed true to their brand, which is playful, colourful, and vibrant. It’s low-fi and rough around the edges, but you get the feeling that someone has actually created this entire thing with a Sharpie.
Part of the story is who you are and what your product does. Don’t hide from it, embrace it!
6: Free Waters
This is a very cool page that lays out the entire mission of FreeWaters in style. This is another company doing good in the world, but the style in which they share their tale is fantastic.
It really has a nice edge to it, don’t you think?
Everything about this story works and is layered in a rather apt manner. It’s detailed without being overbearing, fun yet serious. This is the kind of story you find by accident, spend a long time journeying through, and become hooked in an instant.
It also provides YOU with the power. The page itself says more than enough, but there’s plenty more to uncover should you desire. It uses its Blog to good effect, sharing new stories all of the time and making it organic and constantly growing and developing. This isn’t where the story ends. This is only where it is right now.
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5: Mailchimp
Mailchimp provides a much needed fun-side to email, which let’s face it is rather bland and horrible most days.
Everything about this brand is fun and exciting, so it’s only right that their story has a little bite and is layered and presented in a clean and crisp manner.
I love how they use their team members and introduce them in such a playful manner. It offers a human side that adds ease and familiarity. Overall they’re very transparent with what they do, showcasing their annual report that provides both information and reason to follow. Don’t expect an accountant’s version, however, rather a fun and sleek one.
Yes, this is a company that knows how to tell a story. Not bad for one that sends emails for a living.
4: Out Of Print Clothing
When I first discovered Out Of Print Clothing I immediately liked what I saw. Their mission is cool, their products are sweet, and the way they share their story through that of others is great.
I love little more than when businesses connect with their customers and create a relationship that urges the user to spread the love – and more importantly, makes them want to. Out Of Print Clothing achieve this and more, and it’s for this reason that they appear so high.
They give their most loyal patrons reason to send images and stories and undying love. This provides a much clearer insight than a message from the CEO or founder ever could. It’s clear in an instant that the people who purchase Out Of Print goodies love what they receive
It develops a great culture and one hell of a story. Using thy customer to tell a tale is a good direction to take.
3: Roma Boots
Another brand that’s worked their way into my heart via one hell of a video is Roma Boots. Boy do I love this!
In a similar manner to that of Imogen + Willie, this is a video that goes beyond the usual standard. It’s evocative on many levels and takes you back to the source, providing a great story that represents what they do and who they are.
There’s so much more that this story could achieve, and I certainly hope Roma Boots takes it to the next level, but the ethos and culture is clear to see. This is a perfect example of simple elegance at work. There’s no need to overcomplicate things, and Roma Boots don’t. They capture who they are quickly and leave you gaping in awe.
I would like a little more from the text below the video, but I suppose this is part of its charm.
2: Spanx
Some Brand Stories are closely linked to their Founder – Spanx is one of these.
Sara, the founder, is Spanx, and Spanx…Sara.
I’m a sucker for a story that links the owner in such a way. I love to hear about the initial struggles, how they overcame the odds, and how they’re striving and pushing on to bigger things. Sara Blakey fits this mould and hers is an inspiring journey to be part of.
The style in which it’s portrayed also happens to be genius. The mix of real Sara and cartoon Sara is nice, and the opportunity to delve further with videos and excerpts is refreshing. This is a large story that could easily be overwhelming, but it’s presented in digestible way.
I have little to complain about this one.
1: Buffalo Trace
And so we make it to the number one spot, which is held, rather appropriately, by a bourbon brand.
I happen to like bourbon, and one of my favourite blends is Buffalo Trace. It also happens to be a bloody great story, but they don’t only share it, they do so brilliantly.
What a journey they take you on: videos, animations, to-the-point text, and images that help you taste the loveliness.
The series of videos is excellent and educational at the same time. You get the full tour without leaving your computer, which is a great way to gather people’s attention. This is all achieved within a small space too, making the entire journey easy to follow and easier to love.
This is my number one and rightly so. Great job Buffalo, great job.
There we go folks, a whiskey is the winner.
Next week I’ll provide a single post with all 50 Stories offered in a nice simple list. I also plan on creating a short Ebook that showcases all these brands and more. I hope these 50 brands have inspired you and got you thinking about your own story as so much can be achieved by simply sharing your tale.
Through video, timelines, text or more… your story is just waiting to be told.
And there you have it, my favoruite brand stories. I hope they inspire you like they have for me, and I hope you’re full of ideas right now.
Click here to enjoy the full Top 50 Brand Stories: 50 – 41 l 40 – 31 l 30 – 21 l 20 – 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
