If you have not seen the movie “The Sixth Sense,” please stop reading this article. I don’t want to rid you of that beautiful experience.
Stop reading, go back to your room, rethink your life choices, and please watch the movie.
Back?
Mind is blown? Okay good.
Let’s zoom in on the exact moment when it’s revealed that Bruce Willis’s character had been dead the entire time. How did that moment feel?
A part of you was shocked – “Whaaaaat?! I wasn’t expecting that!”
But then another part of you goes, “Of course, that makes sense… There were clues all along!”
This weird dance between the two ‘opposite’ parts of the mind creates a surreal experience and makes the movie compelling.
Another example:
Let’s turn to Game of Thrones. Remember the scene where Hodor dies? It’s the scene that tells you the back story behind Hodor’s name and why he is able to utter only one word.
We have a similar experience there.
- “Oh, man. This is crazy!!!”
- “Of course! This makes so much sense!”
Here’s a bad example:
Remember the forgettable Game of Thrones ending? Making Bran the King or sending Jon Snow back to the north and turning Danny into a villain didn’t quite make sense. It didn’t create the moment of conflict we saw in the previous two instances.
Here’s my point
Your Marketing message should be like that. When you reveal it to the audience, they should feel –
– “Oh wow, this is surprising!”
– “Of course. This makes sense. Somewhere, I knew it all along.”
At the same time.
The experience is of surprise and also unburdening.