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10 stories we've enjoyed this week
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Hi All,
Following the radio series we made on the History of Drag, we've produced a poster telling the story via a timeline. It all starts way back in 500BC and takes you right up to the modern-day. You can download the poster by clicking on the image below.
Another bit of client work I wanted to tell you about is the Re-Think Quarterly - a publication we run for payroll company ADP. Each quarter we publish global stories on pay. The first quarter was all about remittances, whilst the second was all about innovation. Give it a read and get in touch if you'd like to hear more about why publications are great communications tools for large organisations.
Thanks this week go to Anjali Ramachandran, Laura Olin and Russell Davies. They all work incredibly hard finding or creating the nuggets I steal and give to you. So show them some love by subscribing to their newsletters or buying their stuff.
Have a great weekend.
Hugh
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How can we help you?
Storythings is a strategy and content company based in Brighton and London. We'd love to help you with some creative and bold ideas.
Here's 3 reasons to get in touch.
1. You want to talk to us about content production: podcasts, videos, animations, illustrations, editorial.
2. You want to talk to us about content strategy or format development.
3. You want to create a brand or an identity that makes it easier to communicate your message.
We do other things too. We're very friendly and always enjoy meeting people, so get in touch.
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Storytelling Lessons From Humans of New York
What is it about this universally loved format that captures the imagination of so many? In this week's Formats Unpacked I look at what lessons can be learned from such a simple format and how you might use them, particularly if you have a location-based communications project.
(4 min read)
'Magic Mike XXL' is Basically 'The Odyssey,' But With Butts
One of the big problems often pointed at stories that follow Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey structure is they're usually telling grand stories of grand men on grand journeys. This entertaining and interesting piece looks at how the Magic Mike XXL follows and transcends the Hero’s Journey: "Ultimately, Magic Mike isn’t a hero’s journey, because it doesn’t believe in heroes. It believes in sexy dancing, and joy. Nothing is achieved because the story is not trying to teach us anything. Women are people rather than objects to be won or evils to be defeated; oppressive morality is completely absent, as are authority figures. Instead of heroes, sexy dancing. Instead of dads, sexy dancing. Instead of telling the story of why the king is the king, sexy dancing."
(12 min read)
The Power of Strategic Storytelling With Frank Rose
This is a really fascinating and expansive conversation on strategic storytelling. Frank Rose, author of the brilliant book The Art of Immersion, talks to the Rewired Soul podcast about how companies, startups, and entrepreneurs are using stories to reach new audiences. Frank talks about how stories, rather than facts, connect with audiences. As he points out "facts are called 'cold, hard facts' for a reason." Our very own Matt Locke even gets a mention.
(57 min listen)
We All Love This New Anti-beauty Mag at Storythings
I love everything about this as an idea and wasn't surprised to see the first issue sold out instantly - before I could even get a copy. Circus is the brainchild of London-based photographer Jackson Bowley who describes the magazine's style as “obnoxious, vibrant, raw and unkempt, swaying away from anything too glossy, sexy, serious, stern or beautiful.”
(5 min read)
NYT Film Critics Discuss the Future of Cinema
These critics look at the new season of films about to be released and glance back at cinema's history as a way of trying to come up with sensible predictions about the future: "It’s frustrating that people keep writing lazy obituaries for cinema, something they have no feeling for or interest in. I don’t love all that’s transpired in movie history — the shift from film to digital, the loss of technical competency — but I remain buoyed by the persistence of the art and how its ecologies adapt and persevere. Even so, and I think I’ve said this before, I do increasingly view the segment of the movie world that I most worry about as akin to jazz. It’s something usually appreciated by a niche audience but that needs new blood — the kids you mentioned — to truly sustain it."
(6 min read)
A Very Good Interview Question
Something I've been reflecting on all day.
(1 min read)
IBM Perfected the Art of the Anti-corporate Corporate Poster
This came as a bit of a surprise to me. I'd never really associated IBM with smart design. Apple would be the first name I, and I'm guessing many people, would reach for if asked about brilliant poster design in computing. Some of these are excellent.
(5 min read)
Working Scared Isn't a Winning Strategy in Advertising
A good short video on why being scared of upsetting your client is not a winning strategy in advertising and why it's important to push the client to be better.
(5 min watch)
Austin Kleon on Michaela Coel's Emmy Winning Speech
Still on the subject of not being scared, Austin Kleon highlights the importance of this line from Michaela's fantastic speech: "Don’t be afraid to disappear from it, from us, for a while and see what comes to you in the silence."
(2 min read)
Lisa Simpson's Bookshelf
Over the course of 32 seasons of The Simpsons, Lisa has reached for a book to help her make sense of the world on many occasions. Carmen López, the curator behind the popular Instagram account, Simpsons Library, picks some of her favourite titles Lisa has read over the years. Titles include How To Talk To a Drunk Father, Thin By Third Grade and They Promised Me Ponies.
(5 min read)
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We hope you've enjoyed this week's newsletter. I'm sure some of your friends would love to read it. Sharing it would be really appreciated. If you've received this from a friend you can subscribe here and get it direct to your inbox every Friday.
Thanks for reading and see you all next week,
Hugh, Matt, Anjali and the team at Storythings
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