Jul 9, 2020
How Google, Bumble & CoverGirl are Telling Stories vs Selling Products
In a cluttered feed, people avoid ads. They don't avoid stories. How three brands turned product marketing into empathetic, inclusive content people choose to consume.
⏱ 4 min read
By mediareach
Digital marketing gives brands access to the widest possible audience. The harder part is earning their attention in the clutter.
People consume media through lived experience. Getting your audience to identify with your advertising is what creates a real connection, and storytelling is the most effective way to build that unique, authentic voice.
The Many Faces Who Are Watching
Getting someone to read a full bus stop billboard in London is as hard as getting them to watch a full pre-roll on YouTube. If there was a "no circulars" button for phones, most people would press it.
The fix is to stop interrupting and start storytelling. Connect the brand to a narrative and you create a new piece of media to be consumed, not tolerated.
CoverGirl: Breaking the Mould With James Charles
CoverGirl's 2016 campaign with YouTube influencer James Charles was groundbreaking. A major makeup brand known for "female products" appointed Charles as its first gay male ambassador, broadening appeal to a male audience.
Subsequent work like #lashequality combined LGBTQ+ movements with brand advertising, shifting from selling mascara to empowering people by telling their story. The So Lashy! BlastPRO mascara film alone earned over 7 million unique views on YouTube, driven by inclusive virality, not media spend.
Google: "The Picture Perfect Life" and Mental Health Empathy
Google's "The Picture Perfect Life" commercial, voiced by US rapper Logic, tackled mental illness head-on. It showed real photos from Google Pixel users who looked happy, then revealed some were experiencing mental distress.
It's an emotive example of a brand confronting what its own product doesn't show. By facing the tough reality and displaying empathy, Google connected more deeply than any feature list could.
I really respect google for this – i was already a huge fan of google and its products.
Top comment on Google's "Picture Perfect Life" — proof storytelling resonates
Bumble: Cross-Digital Storytelling With 112 Real Users
Empathetic marketing isn't limited to video. Dating app Bumble released a campaign showcasing the profiles of 112 real users and their stories. The film featured users of varying ethnicities, genders, occupations and orientations talking about life experiences and people they'd met on the app.
The work stretched across platforms, including Instagram featuring those same real users, not actors.
This is empathetic, inclusive marketing that doesn't glorify a product, it tells stories of existing users that resonate and broaden appeal. Selling comes second. Awareness and consideration come first.
We want to celebrate our users more than we want to celebrate our brand. We could have easily done a campaign that shows 25 celebrities and how they use it. It's not realistic and it doesn't work for us as a business.
Bumble VP International Marketing on 112 real users campaign
Think Creatively, Not Commercially
If the goal is to turn people onto advertising rather than off, make new media to be consumed, not an ad to be tolerated. Digital becomes most exciting when creatives and people from all walks of life come together to create unique, meaningful content.
A story connects more effectively than a pitch. Google, Bumble and CoverGirl prove that when brands lead with empathy and inclusion, advertising can progress society, not just sell to it.
Want Stories That People Choose to Watch?
Mediareach helps brands move from selling products to telling lived stories, with inclusive, multicultural storytelling that earns attention and builds affinity.
Sources & References
CoverGirl 2016 campaign with James Charles — first gay male ambassador for major makeup brand, #lashequality, So Lashy! BlastPRO mascara 7M+ YouTube views. The Guardian, YouTube
Google "The Picture Perfect Life" with Logic — Pixel real user photos, mental health narrative, user comment on respect for Google. YouTube
Bumble 112 real users campaign across video and Instagram — VP International Marketing quote on celebrating users over brand. AdWeek
storytelling vs selling
Google Picture Perfect Life
Bumble 112 real users
CoverGirl James Charles
inclusive marketing
empathetic marketing
CoverGirl lash equality
Google mental health Logic
Bumble diverse users
multicultural storytelling
brand storytelling 2020
The UK's pioneering multicultural marketing and advertising agency. Over 40 years connecting brands with diverse communities through cultural insight, creative excellence, and intelligent media strategy.
Jul 9, 2020
How Google, Bumble & CoverGirl are Telling Stories vs Selling Products
In a cluttered feed, people avoid ads. They don't avoid stories. How three brands turned product marketing into empathetic, inclusive content people choose to consume.
⏱ 4 min read
By mediareach
Digital marketing gives brands access to the widest possible audience. The harder part is earning their attention in the clutter.
People consume media through lived experience. Getting your audience to identify with your advertising is what creates a real connection, and storytelling is the most effective way to build that unique, authentic voice.
The Many Faces Who Are Watching
Getting someone to read a full bus stop billboard in London is as hard as getting them to watch a full pre-roll on YouTube. If there was a "no circulars" button for phones, most people would press it.
The fix is to stop interrupting and start storytelling. Connect the brand to a narrative and you create a new piece of media to be consumed, not tolerated.
CoverGirl: Breaking the Mould With James Charles
CoverGirl's 2016 campaign with YouTube influencer James Charles was groundbreaking. A major makeup brand known for "female products" appointed Charles as its first gay male ambassador, broadening appeal to a male audience.
Subsequent work like #lashequality combined LGBTQ+ movements with brand advertising, shifting from selling mascara to empowering people by telling their story. The So Lashy! BlastPRO mascara film alone earned over 7 million unique views on YouTube, driven by inclusive virality, not media spend.
Google: "The Picture Perfect Life" and Mental Health Empathy
Google's "The Picture Perfect Life" commercial, voiced by US rapper Logic, tackled mental illness head-on. It showed real photos from Google Pixel users who looked happy, then revealed some were experiencing mental distress.
It's an emotive example of a brand confronting what its own product doesn't show. By facing the tough reality and displaying empathy, Google connected more deeply than any feature list could.
I really respect google for this – i was already a huge fan of google and its products.
Top comment on Google's "Picture Perfect Life" — proof storytelling resonates
Bumble: Cross-Digital Storytelling With 112 Real Users
Empathetic marketing isn't limited to video. Dating app Bumble released a campaign showcasing the profiles of 112 real users and their stories. The film featured users of varying ethnicities, genders, occupations and orientations talking about life experiences and people they'd met on the app.
The work stretched across platforms, including Instagram featuring those same real users, not actors.
This is empathetic, inclusive marketing that doesn't glorify a product, it tells stories of existing users that resonate and broaden appeal. Selling comes second. Awareness and consideration come first.
We want to celebrate our users more than we want to celebrate our brand. We could have easily done a campaign that shows 25 celebrities and how they use it. It's not realistic and it doesn't work for us as a business.
Bumble VP International Marketing on 112 real users campaign
Think Creatively, Not Commercially
If the goal is to turn people onto advertising rather than off, make new media to be consumed, not an ad to be tolerated. Digital becomes most exciting when creatives and people from all walks of life come together to create unique, meaningful content.
A story connects more effectively than a pitch. Google, Bumble and CoverGirl prove that when brands lead with empathy and inclusion, advertising can progress society, not just sell to it.
Want Stories That People Choose to Watch?
Mediareach helps brands move from selling products to telling lived stories, with inclusive, multicultural storytelling that earns attention and builds affinity.
Sources & References
CoverGirl 2016 campaign with James Charles — first gay male ambassador for major makeup brand, #lashequality, So Lashy! BlastPRO mascara 7M+ YouTube views. The Guardian, YouTube
Google "The Picture Perfect Life" with Logic — Pixel real user photos, mental health narrative, user comment on respect for Google. YouTube
Bumble 112 real users campaign across video and Instagram — VP International Marketing quote on celebrating users over brand. AdWeek
storytelling vs selling
Google Picture Perfect Life
Bumble 112 real users
CoverGirl James Charles
inclusive marketing
empathetic marketing
CoverGirl lash equality
Google mental health Logic
Bumble diverse users
multicultural storytelling
brand storytelling 2020
The UK's pioneering multicultural marketing and advertising agency. Over 40 years connecting brands with diverse communities through cultural insight, creative excellence, and intelligent media strategy.
Jul 9, 2020
How Google, Bumble & CoverGirl are Telling Stories vs Selling Products
In a cluttered feed, people avoid ads. They don't avoid stories. How three brands turned product marketing into empathetic, inclusive content people choose to consume.
⏱ 4 min read
By mediareach
Digital marketing gives brands access to the widest possible audience. The harder part is earning their attention in the clutter.
People consume media through lived experience. Getting your audience to identify with your advertising is what creates a real connection, and storytelling is the most effective way to build that unique, authentic voice.
The Many Faces Who Are Watching
Getting someone to read a full bus stop billboard in London is as hard as getting them to watch a full pre-roll on YouTube. If there was a "no circulars" button for phones, most people would press it.
The fix is to stop interrupting and start storytelling. Connect the brand to a narrative and you create a new piece of media to be consumed, not tolerated.
CoverGirl: Breaking the Mould With James Charles
CoverGirl's 2016 campaign with YouTube influencer James Charles was groundbreaking. A major makeup brand known for "female products" appointed Charles as its first gay male ambassador, broadening appeal to a male audience.
Subsequent work like #lashequality combined LGBTQ+ movements with brand advertising, shifting from selling mascara to empowering people by telling their story. The So Lashy! BlastPRO mascara film alone earned over 7 million unique views on YouTube, driven by inclusive virality, not media spend.
Google: "The Picture Perfect Life" and Mental Health Empathy
Google's "The Picture Perfect Life" commercial, voiced by US rapper Logic, tackled mental illness head-on. It showed real photos from Google Pixel users who looked happy, then revealed some were experiencing mental distress.
It's an emotive example of a brand confronting what its own product doesn't show. By facing the tough reality and displaying empathy, Google connected more deeply than any feature list could.
I really respect google for this – i was already a huge fan of google and its products.
Top comment on Google's "Picture Perfect Life" — proof storytelling resonates
Bumble: Cross-Digital Storytelling With 112 Real Users
Empathetic marketing isn't limited to video. Dating app Bumble released a campaign showcasing the profiles of 112 real users and their stories. The film featured users of varying ethnicities, genders, occupations and orientations talking about life experiences and people they'd met on the app.
The work stretched across platforms, including Instagram featuring those same real users, not actors.
This is empathetic, inclusive marketing that doesn't glorify a product, it tells stories of existing users that resonate and broaden appeal. Selling comes second. Awareness and consideration come first.
We want to celebrate our users more than we want to celebrate our brand. We could have easily done a campaign that shows 25 celebrities and how they use it. It's not realistic and it doesn't work for us as a business.
Bumble VP International Marketing on 112 real users campaign
Think Creatively, Not Commercially
If the goal is to turn people onto advertising rather than off, make new media to be consumed, not an ad to be tolerated. Digital becomes most exciting when creatives and people from all walks of life come together to create unique, meaningful content.
A story connects more effectively than a pitch. Google, Bumble and CoverGirl prove that when brands lead with empathy and inclusion, advertising can progress society, not just sell to it.
Want Stories That People Choose to Watch?
Mediareach helps brands move from selling products to telling lived stories, with inclusive, multicultural storytelling that earns attention and builds affinity.
Sources & References
CoverGirl 2016 campaign with James Charles — first gay male ambassador for major makeup brand, #lashequality, So Lashy! BlastPRO mascara 7M+ YouTube views. The Guardian, YouTube
Google "The Picture Perfect Life" with Logic — Pixel real user photos, mental health narrative, user comment on respect for Google. YouTube
Bumble 112 real users campaign across video and Instagram — VP International Marketing quote on celebrating users over brand. AdWeek
storytelling vs selling
Google Picture Perfect Life
Bumble 112 real users
CoverGirl James Charles
inclusive marketing
empathetic marketing
CoverGirl lash equality
Google mental health Logic
Bumble diverse users
multicultural storytelling
brand storytelling 2020
The UK's pioneering multicultural marketing and advertising agency. Over 40 years connecting brands with diverse communities through cultural insight, creative excellence, and intelligent media strategy.