Story telling without words

Who needs words to tell a great story.  Apple snaps a creative arts Emmy this week for such an honest, heartfelt story of a misunderstood teen at Xmas.  Whilst the unveil is nothing short of touching, the impact comes from the unspoken words of family emotion and the help of a heartfelt tune.  The start of the ad is the same as the end, but the meaning is far greater.

And so it is with the John Lewis story of Xmas.  Whilst the animation is cute and sincere, it’s the engaging, yet speechless friendship of a Hare and a Bear that make this tear-jerker a thing of beauty. Although no words are spoken we float along to the  familiar tune of Lilly Allen.  The joy of this ad is in giving someone a gift they will never forget.  In this case,the hare gives his friend a gift he will never forget.

Are they ads?  Yes, they advertise products.  But they are much much more.  They tell stories of meaning and truth.  The power of great content is in how good they ‘get you’.  And they ‘get you’ when you relate so effortlessly and with compassion or understanding that it’s hard to forget.

Well done guys.. Who needs words to get the point across. So meaningful!