4 Brands That Have Nailed Their Visual Storytelling

It's National Storytelling Week! Or, at least it is if you're reading this from the UK right now. And if there's anything we love, it's a strong, recognisable brand with a strong, recognisable narrative.

Storytelling sits at the very foundation of any business strategy. It directs sales, leads marcomms activity, drives customer loyalty… you name it. And regardless of size, sector or segment, the brands that nail their storytelling tend to be the brands that nail pretty much everything else.

So, in honour of National Storytelling Week, here's a look at 4 brands we think are getting it *chef's kiss* just right, right now.

 1. Cadbury

For all the sweet tooths…

There's a strong chance you'll have seen the chocolate brand's new packaging somewhere in recent weeks, and their Made to Share marketing alongside of it. Us, we've seen approximately 379,237 LinkedIn posts* applauding the campaign since it launched.

It's great. But that's not what we want to talk about. We want to talk about Cadbury Fingers' Sign with Fingers Big & Small.

Back in 2022, the brand paired with the National Deaf Children's Society for a campaign to "get more of us signing". Their central ad featured a young girl signing in BSL, calling out just how isolating every day conversations can be for deaf people and those living with hearing impairments. The subtitles are progressively covered up - so that for those who don't sign can see what it's like to miss things.

Creative storytelling at its finest.

What they could've done better: we wanted to see more. A campaign can be strong and brief, but this felt like a flash in the pan. With ingenuity like this, a multi-touch campaign with experiential marketing, more PR and even lobbying for mandatory inclusions would've worked a charm.

*probably not that many, but we couldn't be bothered to count.

 2. Victorian Plumbing

This may seem left-field, but stick with us.

The name 'Victorian Plumbing' doesn't really sound like a brand that would dictate innovation or fun. And if you rewind a few years, it wasn't. Its marcomms hinged on a more traditional, generalised (if slightly higher end) storytelling arc. But the brand's had a bit of an overhaul since then…

Five or six years ago, Victorian Plumbing started to introduce niche British celebs into their marketing and it worked well. Recognisable, a little kitsch, and something to talk about.

Last year, the brand took it up a notch with their Boss Your Bathroom campaign. It centred on this idea that making over your bathroom was like making over yourself - drastically. Simple concept on paper, but Victorian Plumbing used cinematic clichés, glaringly obvious tackiness, and downright playfulness to make it anything but.

We love storytelling with an ounce of nostalgia.

What they could've done better: we hate to say it, but their overall brand is holding VP back on this one. Their visuals and tone of voice don't fully align with the new approach, and feels too generalised and distant from their campaign. Time for an evolution.

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3. Disney

Yeah, ok, low-hanging fruit. But there's a specific format we need to talk about here.

UGC - User-Generated Content - has been a popular medium in marcomms for a long while. You can credit the rise of socials for that. It's relatable and realistic, efficient and economic. And it speaks to the growing desire to see real life represented by the big players.

In 2010, Disney - never one to miss a beat - picked up on this in a big way by launching an entire site dedicated to UGC. Videos, photography, the works.

Since then, Disney parks have been using more and more user-generated content in their mainstream marketing, showcasing real park-goers at their resorts. They featurea wide breadth of demographics that pretty accurately reflect the diversity of Disney enthusiasts, all enjoying the attractions in idyll bright sunshine with idyll bright smiles to match.

Disney's aesthetic and appeal really doesn’t change.

What they could've done better: far be it from us to offer constructive criticism to some of the most adept storytellers out there. No notes.

4. Barclays

We're not usually in the habit of paying much attention to banks' marketing, but this one's worth it.

Barclays Bank has had some strong and striking visuals over the years. And they were responsible for some of our favourite marketing that came out of 2024 - the Make Money Work For You | Kids World campaign.

The bank highlighted that since our relationship with money is formed from an early age, healthy habits and attitudes start when we're kids. So, they had kids demonstrate that.

The campaign featured mini adults in a mini world - celebrating retirement, going grocery shopping, splitting the lunch bill - in scenarios that revolve around financial health and wellbeing. It worked not only for the humour, but for the reality of everyday life being played out by the less than grown. It piques interest, and relays the precise message Barclays want to send.

What they could've done better: for us, this one's 50-50. It was an effective, fun and subtly poignant campaign, but Barclays could've stretched this one out a bit. We could've seen experiential marketing, more tailored campaigns around specific products… you get the gist.

The Common Theme…

Accessibility.

It's a broad term with a broad meaning for a broad number of people. And it's one that's become steadily critical in marcomms today.

ccessibility is what the vast number of consumers are looking for from brands. Where we once looked to businesses to dictate much of our lifestyles, that switch has been flipped. B2B or B2C, today's storytelling is about relevance. It's about how a product or solution relates to the every day. And relates to our lives.

Our two cents? That's not going away any time soon.