How to Tell a Captivating Story: The 7 Fundamentals of Archetypes You Need to Know

What makes a great story? How do you create a narrative that captivates your audience and leaves a lasting impact? The answer lies in untzderstanding the seven basic storylines that form the foundation of all stories, and leveraging them to achieve your goals.

(c) Christoph Hofbauer

The 7 storytelling archetypes are part of the lecture crossplatform storytelling and build tools and knowledge to adapt storytelling basics for your organizations goals.

In a world where attention spans are dwindling, storytelling has emerged as a powerful tool to engage and connect with audiences. At the heart of crossplatform storytelling lies the art of crafting cohesive narratives that seamlessly span multiple platforms. By mastering this skill, brands can create stronger connections with their audiences, increase engagement and reinforce their messaging. Each piece of content complements the others to create a holistic experience that takes the audience on a journey.

" Stories are based on archetypes. They are deeply imprinted on everyone. That's why we react so strongly to them."

– Chris Hofbauer, Cross Platform Storytelling 2023

The key to creating a powerful story lies in understanding the psychological concept of archetypes, which form the basis of all narratives. Humans are inherently drawn to certain archetypes, such as the classic hero story or the journey of self-discovery. Stories that tap into these archetypes have the power to captivate audiences and elicit strong emotional responses.

Here are the seven archetypes that form the foundation of all stories:

01 - Overcoming the Monster

This narrative pits the protagonist against a formidable obstacle or opponent that must be overcome to achieve a goal. Think good versus evil or big versus small. An example of this is a hiker climbing a mountain to reach a refreshing Austrian beer waiting for him at the source of a mountain stream.

02 - From Beggar to King

This archetype revolves around the protagonist's journey from a position of weakness to one of strength and power. The Lion King is a perfect example of this as Simba goes from a cast-out prince to the African monarch.

03 - Search, Crusade, Mission

This archetype involves a journey with a specific destination, where the journey itself is the primary focus. Think Indiana Jones or Pokemon - the greatest adventures happen along the way, and the destination is secondary to the mission.

04 - Journey and Return

This narrative follows the protagonist's journey to a different world or time and their eventual return. A great example of this is Marvel's Endgame, where the heroes travel through time to save the universe and eventually return to the present.

05 - Rebirth

This narrative follows the protagonist's journey from a state of despair to a state of hope and renewal. Endgame also touches on this archetype as the heroes bring back fallen comrades to defeat evil once again.

For example, a health and wellness brand could create a campaign around a person who has successfully transformed their health and lifestyle. The campaign could include social media posts, blog posts, and longer-form video content on YouTube or Vimeo that documents the person's journey from unhealthy to healthy.

06 - Comedy

This archetype uses humor to tell a story and entertain the audience. The plot is often built around humorous themes and is wrapped up in a story. One of the most popular examples of this is Home Alone, where a forgotten Kevin outsmarts naïve burglars.

Example of "Comedy" by the beer brand "Puntigamer" (c) Christoph Hofbauer

07 - Tragedy

This archetype often involves a tragic event that serves as a call to action. An example of this is the Ice Bucket Challenge, which draws attention to a tragic disease that needs a cure.

Campaign at the Vienna theater about "bringing the dead to life" (c) Christoph Hofbauer

Example: Being creative and selling a Ladder

As part of a class project, we were tasked with selling a ladder to homeowners during the Covid-19 pandemic using one of the 7 archetypical plots. A group chose to use the plot of Romance, specifically drawing inspiration from the story of Romeo and Juliet, to create a campaign they called "The Ladder of Love." With people spending more time at home and possibly feeling isolated from loved ones, they wanted to create a campaign that emphasized the importance of connections and relationships. By making use of the archetypical type of Tragedy they envisioned the ladder as a tool that could help bridge the physical distance between loved ones, just as Romeo and Juliet were separated by the walls of their feuding families' homes.

Cross-Platform Storytelling: Exercise "The Ladder of Love" (c) Denise Bures

To bring this campaign to life, they developed a crossplatform storytelling approach that included various mediums such as social media. For example, they created a short video ad that showcased the ladder being used by a couple who were separated by a balcony, much like Romeo and Juliet. The ladder allowed them to climb up to each other and share a romantic moment, demonstrating how the ladder can help bring people closer together in a funny way.

They also had the idea of setting up a social media campaign that encouraged people to share their own ladder love stories using the hashtag #LadderOfLove. This would not only generate engagement but also create a sense of community and connection among homeowners who may be feeling isolated during the pandemic.

In addition, they developed a TV commercial that showed different scenarios of people using the ladder for different purposes. The commercial ended with a shot of a couple using the ladder to reach each other, reinforcing the idea that the ladder is not just a practical tool, but also a symbol of love and connection.

Social Media Campaign: Exercise "The Ladder of Love" (c) Denise Bures

Conclusion

Overall, the "Ladder of Love" campaign used the archetypical type of Mission and Tragedy, to create a story that resonated with homeowners during the pandemic, while also utilizing various crossplatform storytelling techniques to reach and engage the target audience. By understanding these archetypes, you can craft a story that resonates with your audience and achieves your goals. With crossplatform storytelling, you can create a seamless experience that takes your audience on a journey they won't forget. Whether it's building brand awareness or promoting a product, mastering the art of storytelling is the key to success. And, thanks to Christoph Hofbauer's excellent course and the prepared insights and overall information. With that you now have the tools to tell a great story, not just for your career, but also for your personal life.

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June 26th, 2023 - written by Denise Bures & Martin Pressnitz