Before becoming a marketer, I was a journalist who loved the opportunity to tell stories about my community and share perspectives that would otherwise go unnoticed.
When I left the journalism business, I thought my storytelling days were over; however, visual storytelling is critical in the marketing world.
Visual storytelling allows brands to connect with audiences on an emotional and personal level by sharing stories accompanied by stunning imagery.
So, keep reading to learn how to incorporate visual storytelling into your marketing campaign. I‘ve included some of my favorite examples to help inspire you. Let’s go!
Table of Contents
- What is visual storytelling?
- Why is visual storytelling important?
- Elements of Visual Storytelling
- How to Use Visual Storytelling for Marketing
- Visual Storytelling Examples
The company, which specializes in short—and long-term homestays, posted a video on its YouTube channel telling the story of a displaced family that got a fresh start by securing temporary housing through Airbnb.
The YouTube video interweaves interviews with the family with b-roll footage of their daily lives, former home, and the natural disaster that changed their lives forever.
The story tugs at my heart, and the rich imagery and thoughtful edits enhance it. All while marketing Airbnb as more than just an alternative to hotels; it is an option for people who need temporary shelter.
Why is visual storytelling important?
Visual storytelling can build an authentic, emotional connection between your brand and its audience, leading to loyal consumers who are invested in your story, products, and services. Let's go back to my Airbnb example.
Consumers may see this heartwarming story of how Airbnb helped a family in need and may decide to book their next vacation stay with Airbnb not just because of its services but because they want to keep the business thriving so they can help other families.
Visual storytelling can also build brand recognition that can last for years to come. My favorite example of lifelong brand recognition is Dawn Dish Soap's “The Big Picture” docuseries—which I'll explore more in-depth later.
Elements of Visual Storytelling
So what elements do you need to flawlessly execute visual storytelling in your campaign? Well, let's start with the obvious —the visuals and story.
Visuals
Whether you're telling a story through graphics, photos, or video, compelling imagery is essential to bringing your story to life. Some of my favorite examples of gorgeous visuals come from the Sydney Opera House.
The world-famous opera house temporarily closed its doors during the COVID-19 pandemic, and for the first time in years, the venue was empty of visitors and performers.
During this time, the opera house underwent repairs and updates, and a local photographer, Daniel Boud, was invited inside.
Boud took gorgeous photos of an unusually empty Sydney Opera House, a site most people may never see again.
The photos conveyed a sense of nostalgia for the many performances that have taken place at the decades-old opera house.
They also told a story of unease and melancholy, reflecting the wave of uncertainty that swept the world of live performance at the start of the pandemic as many venues closed their doors (some for good).
Photos of construction workers updating the opera house also reflected a glimmer of hope for the future as they spruced up the venue for future performances despite not knowing when they'd ever happen.
Story
Of course, you must think of the story you're trying to tell before you can even get your visuals together.
The Sydney Opera House wanted Boud to tell the story of how one of the most lively and loud places on the planet stood silent and empty but still showed hope for the future of its livelihood and that of the performance art industry.
What story do you want to convey to your audience? Perhaps you want to share how your brand came to be or how your organization has made a difference in the local community.
Perhaps your brand has experienced some bad press, and you want to show how you‘ve turned things around and massively improved your products or services, like Domino’s Pizza.
Years ago, the company received backlash for the quality of its pizza and was the butt of many jokes.
In the video below, Domino's uses interviews, a b-roll, genuine consumer reactions, and a peek behind the kitchen to show that the company is using a new recipe and that consumers can now enjoy their newly improved delicious pizza.
Emotions
Your visual story must make your audience feel something that generates an emotional connection. As I said earlier, the photos of an empty Sydney Opera House made viewers uneasy.
How could such a powerhouse become so desolate? How could things change so suddenly?
The photos also conveyed isolation from artists, the performing arts community, and the world.
These feelings fostered an emotional connection with viewers because they were the same feelings that people felt worldwide as the pandemic forced many to stay indoors and avoid gatherings with loved ones.
Think about an issue your audience is experiencing and find a way to tell a story that illustrates their feelings and shows that, above all, you understand them.
Authenticity
Whatever story you‘re trying to tell needs to come from a genuine place. What’s a real problem that your audience often experiences? How can you visually show that your brand offers a real solution?
What's the real story of how your brand came to be? Can real customers offer testimonials of how your product or service helped them?
The Sydney Opera House truly did shut down temporarily during the pandemic, and the photos taken during its time of silence were real and not staged. So, for lack of better words, keep it real regarding visual storytelling.
Purpose
Finally, what do you want your audience to do after discovering your story? At the end of its articles featuring Boud's photography, the Sydney Opera House included a link calling for viewers to donate.
The photos were taken to show viewers that the opera house's doors were closed but would reopen with a whole new look; in the meantime, donate to keep the performance arts iconic beacon alive!
Domino‘s Pizza wanted its target audience to know that it received their feedback and made positive changes to its recipe, so they’re ready for a second chance to impress.
What's the purpose of your story?
How to Use Visual Storytelling for Marketing
The examples below will give you insight into how you can use visual storytelling in your marketing strategy, off the top of my head, I know you can use the concept in marketing to:
- Share your mission and vision with your audience
- Reflect on positive changes coming to your brand
- Show alternative uses for your product and services
- Show where your brand stands on important issues concerning your target audience
To inspire you, I‘ve compiled a list of my favorite examples of visual storytelling, both old and new. Let’s dive in!
Visual Storytelling Examples
1. Dawn Dish Soap - “The Big Picture”
I told you I'd revisit this example! This campaign is an oldie but a goodie because it remains a core part of Dawn's branding to this very day.
In 2013, the dish soap company released a nine-part documentary called “The Big Picture,” which followed rescuers and volunteers using Dawn to clean and care for wildlife.
The first episode famously showed rescuers using Dawn to clean ducks caught in the crossfire of oil spills.
More than a decade later, ducklings dubbed “the Dawn Ducks” are pictured on almost all of Dawn's products and are still featured in advertisements.
What I like: The docuseries features interviews with real rescuers interspersed with a b-roll of oil birds being cleaned using the soap.
I also love how the documentary cleverly showed how the soap is tough enough to cut through oil but gentle on the skin.
2. Dove - The Code | Dove Self-Esteem Project
In 2024, Dove released a short film called “The Code” as part of the Dove Self-Esteem Project. It shows a young woman of color asking AI to generate images of what beautiful, confident women look like.
The young woman is then shown AI-generated images of white, blond-haired women who fit within very narrow, unrealistic beauty standards. She later types in the same query but instead adds “according to Dove Real Beauty Ad.”
From there, she is shown more diverse, realistic images of confident and beautiful women.
What I like: The film drives home Dove‘s point in just one minute, capturing the audience’s attention without overstaying its welcome.
I also love that Dove included statistics about AI at the start and connected it to the ad‘s purpose: to show that Dove will not use AI to create or discord women’s images.
This film was a creative and heartwarming way to establish trust and transparency between the company and its audience.
3. Airbnb
I already covered why Airbnb‘s YouTube video about Ula and her family is an excellent example of visual storytelling, so I won’t rehash the same details.
Instead, I encourage you to think about ways your brand or organization has shown up for your community or those in need.
Then, reach out to the people or families who have benefited from your services and highlight their testimonials in a visual medium like film or photography.
4. Gemini
Coinciding with the 2024 Olympics, Google released an Olympic-themed ad showcasing the many uses of AI, Gemini. The ad features a father telling the story of how his daughter is inspired by Olympic sprinter Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone.
As the father narrates the ad, viewers are shown quick clips of Gemini generating a training routine for his child.
The ad ends with the narrator asking Gemini to help his daughter write a letter to Sydney saying she‘s an inspiration and she plans on breaking her record when she’s older.
What I like: Google found a way to connect a current, trending topic (the Olympics) to its product while showcasing Gemini's many uses.
5. Amazon - “Saving Sawyer”
Amazon's “Saving Sawyer” ad shows a dog who enjoys spending time with his family as they lock down during the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, after the lockdown ends and the family returns to school and work, the dog soon becomes restless, lonely, and destructive.
The ad shows the family shopping for a dog kennel on Amazon as the dog (and audience) nervously looks on.
Fortunately, it turns out the kennel wasn't for the dog but for a new pup that would be joining the family and keeping lonely dog company.
What I like: Amazon does an excellent job of connecting a relatable scenario to its service. During the pandemic, nearly one in five households nationwide adopted a new dog.
These pets became used to their families being home with them all day, and many Americans struggled to adopt their animals to being home alone as people began returning to school and work.
Amazon incorporated this fact into its visual storytelling and showed audiences that Amazon carries many products that can be helpful for pits, including an electronic treat distributor and a kennel for bringing a new pet home to keep your original fur baby company.
I also admire how the ad played on emotion by making the audience worry about the dog‘s fate (I’m assuming his name is Sawyer?).
6. Purina Service Dog Salute
Purina's moving documentary follows three real-life veterans and their service dogs.
Throughout the documentary, the veterans describe their time in the military and their struggle to move forward into civilian life while managing their mental health.
The documentary shows the difference service dogs make in their lives. While telling the stories, viewers can see quick shots of the dogs eating Purina dog food to have the energy and nutrition to help their owners.
What I like: The documentary features real interviews with real veterans, and footage of Purina bags is incorporated into the film in a natural way.
And, as the daughter of two veterans, I was able to emotionally connect to the video's subjects.
7. Gibson - “The Process”
Gibson Inc. wants its consumers to know the guitars they sell are expertly crafted and of the highest quality.
To drive those points home, the guitar company started a digital series called “The Process,” which takes viewers behind the scenes of crafting a Gibson guitar.
What I like: I enjoy the exclusive look into the art of crafting a guitar. It‘s a peek behind a curtain that even the most talented players aren’t always granted.
Think about the process of creating your product and consider ways you can take viewers behind the scenes.
8. Nike - What Are You Working On?
Each episode of Nike's web series “What Are You Working On?” highlights an athlete as they share their unique journeys. The subjects narrate the episodes, which show them playing their sport, training, and working to achieve their goals.
What I like: Each athlete is seen lacing up their Nike shoes and sporting Nike gear as they train, showing the audience that Nike plays a role in their journey as well and is designed with athletes in mind.
9. Subaru - Subaru Loves Learning
A lot of the examples I‘ve shown you involve big, expensive productions, highly stylized footage, and almost movie-level editing.
But don’t worry; Subaru‘s short-form video for Subaru Loves Learning proves that you don’t need all that for impactful visual storytelling.
The video features real voice messages from educators thanking Subaru for adopting their classrooms and providing the necessities to their students.
The raw voice messages are accompanied by photos of the classrooms Subaru adopted and the supplies they received.
What I like: Creating a video like Subaru's is simple and quick to make. You only need audio, photos, and basic editing skills (or an intuitive app to edit the video for you).
10. McDonald's Anime Commercial
I‘m a huge anime fan, so I really enjoyed this McDonald’s anime ad that aired in Japan several years ago. The animated ad shows a young woman who gets a job at her local McDonald's and is mentored by her manager.
As time goes on, the woman develops important skills that help her mentor the next generation of employees and move on to higher-paying opportunities in the future.
The ad encourages people to apply to their local McDonald's to gain skills for other careers.
What I like: I love that the ad uses gorgeous animation to portray McDonald's as more than a fast food restaurant, but as a place young people can go to grow and develop key skills.
Think about what your brand brings to its community that goes beyond products and services.
As you can see, visual storytelling can be used in many ways to get people invested in your brand. Just start with a vision, story, and purpose.
Editor's note: This post was originally published in May 2016 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.
