Every great brand story has a villain 🦹

“There’s no hero without a villain.”

Problem:

Most marketing jumps straight to the product.

No context. No tension. No emotion.

Great stories start by setting up a clear problem or “villain” before offering the solution.

Without a villain, your customer can’t become the hero.

Defining the villain gives context and tension that makes your message memorable.

The best brands, however, have a clear villain!

Examples:

• Allstate’s “Mayhem” campaign personifies accidents and disasters as a mischievous villain, making their insurance feel like the hero that saves the day.

• UPS frames “time” and roadblocks as the villain, showing how they cut through delays and deliver faster.

• Harley-Davidson positions “convention” as the villain and celebrates freedom and rebellion.

Simple Tip:

Make the problem the villain.

Call it out clearly.

Only then can you be the guide, not the hero.