Does every “new” show, series, and film you watch these days seem like something you’ve seen before?
You’re not experiencing déjà vu, and Hollywood (probably) isn’t out of ideas. You’re seeing why sequels, prequels, reboots, and reunion shows have taken over your content channels: Storytelling around instantly recognizable themes has built-in resonance.
Humans evolved through our skill at identifying and categorizing patterns of information for easy understanding. It helped our ancestors learn to stay out of danger and led to the development of shared language — a way to communicate experiences so others could benefit.
It’s also why practically every story written can be classified into one of seven narrative patterns or archetypes. They may be ancient, but they haven’t lost their ability to engage and inspire audiences.
Let’s look at what makes these storytelling staples ideal foundations for creating engaging, relatable, and memorable content.
7 archetypes of storytelling
You’ll undoubtedly recognize these classic story patterns by their definitions and use in popular entertainment properties. But they’re also featured prominently in marketing content that aims to forge an emotional connection.
Stories built on these archetypes serve as parables and rely on literary devices like allegory and symbolism. That makes them best suited to immersive formats like film and video and most used in consumer-friendly efforts.
But, as you’ll see in these examples, that doesn’t mean their benefits are exclusive to B2C brands or visually rich campaigns.
1. The quest
Like the hero’s journey, quests feature a protagonist who must overcome a series of obstacles to acquire an important object or reach a desired destination.
Classic movie examples: Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Squid Game
Brands see the merits of building content on this archetypical structure and use the quest structure often. After all, content marketing entails helping audiences complete their quests for success.
Grainger: The Job You Want
All jobs have their challenges. But conquering them is a taller order for some workers than others. Just ask Jenna Stokes, a Grainger wind turbine technician who’s afraid of heights.
Jenna’s job repairing turbines requires her to climb towers up to 328 feet tall. To succeed in her chosen field, she must find a way to manage her acrophobia. So, how — and why — does she do it?
Those answers can be found in Grainger’s The Job You Want, a series of videos in which the company’s workers share their passion for their jobs and describe what makes their trade an exciting and fulfilling career option.
In her episode, Jenna says she relies on her safety equipment and draws strength from her team of skilled technicians. As the conversation is set against dizzying images of workers standing on top of a turbine overlooking the New Mexico desert, it’s easy to see why that support is critical to fulfilling her ambitious quest.
Jenna details the technical aspects of her craft, such as the types of repairs her team handles and the skill and knowledge required. She also walks viewers through a typical workday, which includes a debrief on the team’s plan for the day, the potential hazards, and the energy she feels when she accomplishes the work.
Industrial supply companies like Grainger face a severe shortage of skilled trade labor. By producing this series for its Grainger Everyday Heroes initiative, the company hopes to motivate more young workers to pursue rewarding careers as technicians.
2. Overcoming the monster
An unlikely hero is challenged by an antagonistic foe they are ill-equipped to fight. Through their experience, they gain the courage, knowledge, or strength to defeat it.
Classic movie examples: Jaws, Harry Potter series
In underdog tales, the monster doesn’t have to be a supernatural creature or fictional evildoer, and the hero may not even be a person. For example, the story can center on a solution that conquers a real-world pain point or a metaphoric representation of an intimidating obstacle.
But no matter the characters’ form, these stories present an opportunity to cast your brand and its customers as conquering heroes.
Dramamine: The Last Barf Bag
For those who experience motion sickness, the agony of nausea-inducing travel is often debilitating. Thanks to effective medications like Dramamine, fewer consumers struggle with that monster of a problem.
Yet, in helping people conquer nausea, other marketplace challenges bubbled up: Manufacturers of barf bags lost business, and a pleasurable hobby was taken away from those who collect them.
Dramamine’s documentary, The Last Barf Bag, holds nothing back as it explores the brand’s impact on all three groups. Interview clips of the brand’s marketing and R & D teams speak to the positive effects Dramamine has had on customers’ lives. Yet, their enthusiasm is tempered by data visualizations that map the company’s growth against the decline of barf bags and stories from proud collectors lamenting the demise of their favorite artistic medium.
The film’s vivid descriptions might make you a little queasy. But if you can stomach it, stick around to the end to see some clever repurposing ideas. It’s a fitting end that illustrates the brand’s commitment to making everyone’s journeys more comfortable.
3. Rags to riches
A protagonist who comes from humble beginnings or holds untapped potential acquires great power, knowledge, or riches. Initially, they struggle under the weight of their heightened position. But they ultimately learn valuable lessons that change them (or the world at large) for the better.
Classic movie examples: Trading Places, Slumdog Millionaire
While the monster archetype is about overcoming an external enemy, the dramatic struggle is primarily internal in a rags-to-riches tale: The main character must battle with themself or their circumstances to rise above their station and serve as an example to others.
Air Jordan: Grandma’s Driveway
Tales of corporate leaders who ascended from mailroom to boardroom and entrepreneurs who built billion-dollar businesses on an ambitious dream abound. But few are told by the subject’s grandma.
For professional BMX athletes, the career path is paved with hard, unyielding cement and plenty of crash landings on top of it. That was the case for Nigel Sylvester, who grew up riding at his grandmother’s home in Queens, New York.
Through hard work and determination, he ascended to become a top professional in the sport. In his grandmother’s view, her driveway was the launchpad for that success.
In this ad for the Air Jordan 4 RM sneaker, “Grandma” (played by Jo Marie Payton) shares her memories of Nigel ceaselessly practicing bicycle stunts on her driveway. She notes his lifelong passion for the sport and his determination to try again after every crash, illustrated in home movie clips and images of his scars and scrapes.
By connecting his past to his present , Nigel’s rags-to-riches story feels personal and broadly relatable. The same might be said for the 4 RM sneakers he co-designed and developed: According to Ad Age, they use a shade of green leather that matches the fence around Grandma’s driveway.
4. Rebirth
An adversarial person or event drives a flawed main character to reflect on their actions. The experience compels them to achieve a more positive outcome by embracing redemptive change.
Classic movie examples: Groundhog’s Day, A Christmas Carol
Everyone makes mistakes. Consumers expect brands to own up to those errors and do better (or, at least, pledge to). Yet, doing so can put businesses at risk of losing face or, worse, hard-won trust.
A rebirth story can rehab a flagging reputation. It also helps reset expectations around your brand, industry, or corporation. By speaking out about known challenges — and the steps you’re taking (or have taken) to combat them — you can reestablish relevance to your audience and increase its trust. That makes rebirth stories an excellent fit for rebranding campaigns and thought leadership efforts.
e.l.f. Beauty: So Many Dicks
Beauty brand marketing is becoming more inclusive as consumers of all genders increasingly use cosmetics as a means of self-expression. e.l.f. Beauty’s So Many Dicks campaign aims to take the brand’s efforts to increase representation off of the cosmetics counter and into corporate boardrooms.
The campaign’s tagline is a clever, winking metaphor. Yet, e.l.f. wants its message to be taken seriously — and acted upon intentionally — to spark a rebirth in the way business decisions get made.
The campaign video explains the focal issue: “There are more men on U.S. corporate boards named Richard, Rich, or Dick than there are entire groups of underrepresented people. That’s a lot of Dicks — and not enough of everyone else.”
But this initiative isn’t just about representation. According to an Ad Age article, CMO Kory Marchisotto says it’s also about improving marketing effectiveness and business performance. When corporate decision-makers don’t reflect the diversity of their audience, they risk leaving real people out of their brand conversations and getting left behind by those potential customers.
So Many Dicks works as both a marketing initiative and a catalyst for a broader industry rebirth. This is because e.l.f. isn’t just asking for external change. It serves as an example of the benefits that can be achieved from such a transformation.
As the Ad Age article notes, e.l.f. is one of only four publicly traded U.S. companies with a board of directors comprising two-thirds women and one-third diverse representation. In the past five years, it’s also become the fastest-growing company listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
5. Voyage and return
The protagonist travels to a strange land, encountering unexpected characters, situations, and oppositional forces. Upon returning home, they realize they’ve been forever changed by the wisdom gained.
Classic movie examples: Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? and The Wizard of Oz
It can be easy to confuse this archetype with quests. Both share the theme of leaving the safety of home. But while a desired destination drives the plot of a quest-based tale, voyage-and-return stories are about the journey itself.
British Airways: May We Haveth One’s Attention
Airline carriers are in the business of providing customers with a mishap-free flight experience. But they can only do so much if passengers refuse to listen to or follow the rules explained at the beginning of every trip.
To help grab flyers’ attention (on and off the plane), British Airways produced a cabin safety video inspired by the drama and pageantry of popular period pieces like Netflix’s Bridgerton. If you’ve ever wondered who still needs help understanding how a seatbelt works or where the exits are, you have your answer.
In May We Haveth One’s Attention, old-world aristocrats marvel at the wonders of modern life — like cell phones and shoulder straps — as flight attendants demonstrate aviation’s standard safety features and passenger protocols.
The clever juxtaposition enables the carrier to show off first-class amenities like its Club World lie-flat seats while subtly communicating that all passengers must act responsibly and civilly when traveling by air.
Its fleet of planes may not be equipped to travel back in time, but the charming nod to Britain’s Georgian era takes its customers on a voyage that just might change their in-flight habits.
6. Comedy
Like other archetypes, comedies are tales in which a protagonist triumphs over adversity. But here, they are often thrust into surreal or unlikely scenarios and go to absurdly extreme lengths to work their way out.
Classic movie examples: The Big Lebowski, Ted Lasso
Content that makes audiences laugh isn’t just entertaining. It can serve marketing purposes across the funnel. For example, it can help small or newer brands draw big crowds, bring legacy brands back into the consideration mix, and fan the flames of passion-driven loyalty.
Surprisingly, though, this may be the toughest archetype to pull off. You need to find a unique idea or angle that’s also broadly relatable and easily understood. Your brand’s pitch can’t overwhelm the humorous payoff. And if your message, scripting, or timing is off, even a brilliantly conceived and executed effort can easily fall flat.
Beats by Dre: The Legend of Ricallen
A fine line exists for brands between skillfully telling a joke and clumsily becoming the butt of one. In The Legend of Ricallen, Beats by Dre dances around that line with the skill of a champion dressage horse.
The real-life friendship between Formula One racer Daniel Ricciardo and NFL quarterback Josh Allen is mined for comedy value in this parody that lovingly mocks the trend of celebrities who become business partners (think Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney or Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman).
As their bromance blossoms, the pair decide to do something crazy together: Buy a racehorse.
Lacking the budget for a thoroughbred and any recognizable horse sense doesn’t stop the duo from acquiring a “bargain horse,” they name Ricallen (a combination of their last names). As montage-friendly theme music plays through Beats speakers, they’re put through the paces of training Ricallen for the big race.
While they remained oblivious to their horse coming in last, the pair — and the Beats brand — still came out as winners: Beats created a special Ricallen edition of its Beats Studio Pro headphones for the duo. Fans of the campaign could buy Ricallen T-shirts and other swag (now sold out) on a dedicated microsite.
7. Tragedy
In the tragedy archetype, a flawed hero makes a choice or takes an action that ultimately leads to their undoing.
Classic movie examples: The Great Gatsby, Daenerys’ story arc in Game of Thrones
Commonly used to evoke pity or take a moral stance, tragedy might not seem the best fit for brand storytelling. But with the right creative approach, it can be a powerful tool for sharing vital information, such as guidance that helps protect consumers from harm.
WorkSafe: Umm
WorkSafe is the workplace health and safety regulator and injury insurer for the state of Victoria in southeast Australia. Its mission of worker advocacy is served well by the organization’s public service campaign, Umm.
Umm is anchored by educational videos that depict a quirky yellow mascot experiencing cringey workplace scenarios like bullying, sexual harassment, and a lack of proper safety gear.
For example, the video above shows the sympathetic mascot working in a fast-paced kitchen. Overwhelmed by the pressure to hurry up and finish a customer’s order, the mascot catches a kitchen towel on fire.
Distressed by this Umm-inducing incident, the character is unsure what to do next. The voiceover reassures viewers that these working conditions are unacceptable and should be reported, which they can do by contacting WorkSafe’s advisory service.
The videos depict worst-case scenarios, but the workplace violations that lead to them are commonly experienced by younger employees. The campaign empowers them to speak up and stop cringey and damaging behaviors before they become victimized as their fellow quirky mascot did.
Continue the legacy of relatable storytelling
The characters in your content don’t have to battle Voldemort or their instincts to benefit from these classic content archetypes. Whether you cast your brand or your customers as the story’s hero, you both stand to emerge victorious.
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Cover image by Joseph Kalinowski/Content Marketing Institute