Creative strategy and storytelling in advertising: conceptual systematization and empirical analysis of Brazilian restaurant brands

Abstract

Purpose: Creativity plays a key role in marketing communication and especially in advertising. In this context, this research intends, on the one hand, to systematize the application of creative strategy and storytelling in advertising, as technical procedures that can guide the work of communication professionals. On the other hand, it intends to present an empirical application of these concepts through a content analysis of campaigns of restaurant brands in Brazil. Methodology: The first objective was answered through a literature review that configured an academic foundation for these concepts. The methodological approach applied in the empirical part involved a content analysis of television advertising of fastfood brands in Brazil focused on the creative and narrative components of the messages. Findings: We found that most advertisements focus their approach on only one product, highlighting its features and advantages. The main message and the unique selling proposition are often based on price and novelty. The most used creative format is the narrative one, confirming that storytelling has been a creative focus of brands in recent years. Originality/Value: The systematization of the advertising creative method is a contribution for professionals as a procedural orientation, and for the teaching of advertising as a roadmap for creative activity. The empirical work, operationalizing the concepts of creative strategy and storytelling, contributes to overcoming the scarcity of studies on this subject, and sheds light on the activity of brands in the field of advertising.