Mike Arauz's Blog – The Archives

Ricky Jay is one of the all-time great slight-of-hand artists. He's also a phenomenal storyteller.

And this is what makes him a wonderful magician.



Unfortunately, most advertising isn't a good trick or a good story. A few brands and agencies, though, have had some success at telling great stories. And the internet has proven to be a ripe for the cleverest people to some pretty amazing tricks.

A great trick creates an experience that makes the audience say, "I didn't think that was possible." Innovative people and companies have invented lots of wonderful tricks on the web. Clever ad agencies have created novel and compelling experiences for their clients using nothing more than existing tools and behaviors (e.g. Ikea on Facebook).

But, there's a difference between tricks and magic. And the difference is great storytelling. Storytelling is how we connect. Storytelling is how we understand. Storytelling is how we believe.

In order to create a true transformative experience in someone, we need to combine the tricks with storytelling. Continue to seek out incredible new interactions, and then think about the story you want to tell as you take someone there with you. Craft rich and engaging stories, and then search for the revelatory experience that will make it sing.