Escape from the office presents a realistic story of how the underdogs quit the clutches of their mean boss Vivienne and launched their own packaging company “Better bags” inspired by double bags and creating more eco friendly packaging. 

Nour Hamam, International Participants Manager, at Expo 2020

The story of how the team hilariously comes up with ways and eventually enough money to raise the interest of their old boss Vivienne is a dream come true! 

What does that mean? The mini docu-series shows how branding and story telling works in a humorous world where 14-year-olds website designers, hires from across the world and working from a smelly garage (startup culture). 

You find yourself rooting for the bunch of lazy underdogs. The 8-minute ad delivered a message that’s witty and relatable. 

On another note the 2010 super bowl ad by Google tells a story of a search to study abroad in Paris, then shows search query for “cafes near louvre”, then, translation of “Tu Est tres mignon” and it cuts to typing “how to impress a French girl”, then typing “Long distance relationship advice”, the next scene shows “Churches in Paris” and finally ends with “how to assemble a crib,” all this was done through Google search showing the timeline of how the relationship of that person evolved from a simple search to study abroad in Paris to starting a family. I thought it was absolutely heart warming and very effective when done right. 

The less than one minute ad didn’t even include any people just a simple search and it broke the internet. Why? Because it resonated and had an emotional impact. Once again you were rooting for the person to end with a happily ever after story. 

Did it work? YES! It had me hooked from the first second when the search was starting.  

It’s what makes it unique, when brands tell a story it just sticks, 

When Old Spice wanted to target a new younger audience, it featured a young handsome talking to the ladies saying using Old Spice and not lady body shower will transform your man into the perfect man, but that Old Spice can make your man smell like the perfect man. “Anything is possible when you smell like a man and not a lady.”

The Old Spice guy holds an oyster containing tickets to the “things you love” and then the scene cuts to tickets transforming into diamonds, it ends with the young man sat on a horse. It really packed a punch! Instead of reaching out to men, the Old Spice guy talks directly to the ladies. It’s genius because it takes a brand that is associated with granddads and makes it appealing to a modern generation. How does it do that? Well, it’s well-written (and very quotable), and while it might inspire the perfect lifestyle, it certainly doesn’t over promise anything.

Key takeaways from storytelling approach:

  • Relate to your audience. We all know a mean boss like Vivienne. 
  • Research ways to make it more humorous (the 14 year old cousin demanding 10 grand for website design made me laugh out loud!) 
  • Subtle branding of apple products and did not have a direct sales approach, same goes with the Parisian love story. 
  • Find a hero and an anti hero (the under dogs vs. Vivienne)
  • Add a source of conflict (Making $ was a challenge for the under dogs and defeating their mean boss Vivienne)
  • Make it stick. The Parisian love story just made me emotional and that’s what inspired me! 
  • Don’t overpromise, Escape from the office, started out with a day dream of the team quitting and last scene shows them driving out of the office parking lot with “we are starting our own company” made me giggle.  

In conclusion

So don’t be afraid to tell a story that’s bold and emotional. Brands must think outside the box, resonate with their audience and make it count! 

What did you think of the Parisian love story by Google or the Apple Underdogs “Escape from the office”? How could they have delivered the message in another way?