• by Eldaa Daily , Columnist, June 1, 2016

For TV and movie screenwriters, the “beat” is a basic storytelling unit in which one significant thing happens. Some screenwriters will “beat-out” their story in advance, creating a moment-by-moment outline of how the plot will progress. Other writers may write early script drafts without an outline and then analyze the beats of the story as a means for editing and revision.

In both approaches, analyzing story beats helps writers separate moments that are critical to progressing the story, from those that may be entertaining but don’t serve the narrative and should be cut.

Storytelling beats also exist in television commercials, online video advertising, and other types of film. The critical analyses that writers and entertainment executives use to evaluate the potential success of scripts can be applied to advertising formats to understand the effectiveness of the story in communicating the brand message.

In his book, Story: Substance, Structure, Style and the Principles of Screenwriting, Robert McKee outlines five steps for a critical beat-by-beat analysis of a scene:

1. Define the conflict driving the emotion of the scene

2. Note the opening emotional value of the scene

3. Break the scene into beats

4. Note the closing emotional value compared to the opening value

5. Survey the beats and locate the turning point of the scene

To see how to apply this technique to advertising, below is a beat-by-beat analysis of Coke’s “Share a Coke and a Song-Dance.” This spot has a clear problem-solution narrative. This is not the only effective emotional structure for successful story-driven advertising. This ad just happens to provide a particularly excellent example of storytelling in advertising:

1. Define the conflict driving the emotion of the scene: The daughter needs to learn a dance, but she is having difficulty learning it with her father.

2. Note the opening emotional value of the scene: Negative: the daughter is frustrated with her father and the dancing. 

3. Break the scene into beats:

• the father and daughter work together to learn a dance 

• the father steps on his daughter’s foot, which heightens his daughter’s frustration to the point where she gives up and sits down

• her father, recognizing she needs encouragement, reaches for the Coke in the fridge and places it on the table

• the Coke successfully bridges the gap between parent and child, creating the expectation that they will try again

• the scene transitions to the daughter’s quinceañera, where the two successfully and joyfully perform the traditional father-daughter dance 

• different Coke labels related to dancing and the tagline appear on screen

• the scene ends with a tender father-daughter embrace under the traditional Coca-Cola logo

4. Note the closing emotional value compared to the opening value: The closing emotional value has transitioned to positive as we see father and daughter sharing a tender moment together.

5. Survey the beats and locate the turning point of the scene: The ad turns when the father places the Coke on the table.

What are the indicators of this ad’s success?

1. There is conflict. Dramatic tension drives emotional engagement. And in this spot there is a definite conflict between father and daughter. 

2. There is a different emotional value at the end of the story than there was at the beginning. Good storytelling shifts emotions, and Coke successfully shows the opening frustration giving way to joy and tenderness.

3. Each beat moves the story toward that emotional transition. The final moment between the father and daughter shows that this dance was not just a performance but the creation of a cherished memory.

4. The brand plays a critical role at the turning point of the scene. Coke’s role in the emotional structure of the story will drive motivation and goodwill for the brand. And it will likely lead to the ad being well branded. 

Hollywood scriptwriters understand the value of a great story, and more and more so do advertisers. Borrowing tried and true analytical techniques from great Hollywood storytellers can help marketers optimize the power of story in advertising.