Over the years, Korea has built itself to be one of the media hubs that develop an exponential amount of cult followings. From its record-breaking music artists to K-dramas, they have established stories that continue to be talked about the world over.

Chalk it up to government support and country pride from its citizens, but we have seen the integration of Korean culture throughout the global spectrum. As we enter into the last quarter of the year, we have seen the viral, international success of K-drama Squid Game.

Those off social media are not spared from its advertising campaign. Different parts of the country have seen on-ground executions.

From replicas of the Red Light, Green Light robot doll in shopping malls to recreating the famed dalgona honeycomb candy recipe, Squid Game and Netflix ensure that its gory, thrilling plot will never leave your lips for quite some time.

What is so fascinating about the Squid Game?

While cinephiles have compared its plot to that of The Hunger Games and Japanese show Alice in Borderland, what makes them all stand out is the power of storytelling. Why is this important?

Storytelling goes beyond handpicking a structured plot. It is the way you tell a story, whether that be through certain elements, setting the scene, and the like.

In the case for marketers and communicators, it is using a narrative to communicate a certain brand message. But what lessons can we get from the show? Here are five techniques we picked up for your use.

1. DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE AN ORDINARY PREMISE

The synopsis simply reads, “Hundreds of cash-strapped contestants accept an invitation to compete in children’s games for a tempting prize, but the stakes are deadly.” Sounds just about ordinary, right?

But what will make you stand out is how you package that story and embrace it as your own. Viewers will soon find out that the stakes are literally out for the game players’ lives, as they rise up the ranks to earn the heralded billion won.

Come to think of it, most stories are born out of ordinary storylines. For instance, Apple’s brand story is rooted on the need for a phone or laptop that champions minimalism and technology.

Coca-Cola answers the demand for a drink that quenches everybody’s thirst (that is not water). Local drugstore Mercury Drug answers the need for a quintessential medicine store with a call for convenience and speed.

Become the difference and learn how to breathe new life into a story, whether that be changing up its present elements or introducing new concepts into an old plot line.

2. TELL RELEVANT STORIES

So many people underestimate the power of the media. There was once a time where global citizens called the TV the “idiot box.” Who knew that film and television could be the critical pillars of messaging today?

Media is consumed on a daily, if not an hourly (or measured by the seconds) basis. So, it is only fitting that the most relevant, real-time stories are told there.

We have previously mentioned that audiences nowadays are looking for authentic, purposeful content. What does this mean? Brand relevance is measured on the ways they stand up for issues that concern citizens today.

In the case of Squid Game, it is an allegory for capitalism and the socio-economic disparity between the poor and the rich. It could even be a philosophical look at how money is the root of all evil.

But to connect it to the issues of today, Squid Game’s contestants represent the finiteness of human nature -- the way they clamor for the prize using any means necessary. Sounds about like the Machiavellian beliefs packaged in today’s reality.

3. APPEAL TO YOUR PUBLIC’S EMOTIONS

The success stories of many brands lie in their ability to impact. Whether it be creating discourse or making you cry, there is a lot of underrated gold in empathic plots.

These refer to the kinds of stories that make you feel for the characters. Squid Game has done this, every time they eliminate someone (and even some of our most beloved main characters!).

Aside from that, they make you feel the tension, the fright, the thrills, and the joy in between.

Whether that be watching our characters seamlessly remove the shape out of the candy, the stop-go chase of Red Light Green Light, and the which-is-which leap of faith in the glass bridge, the feeling will almost always turn into believing.

4. INSERT THE SHOCK FACTOR

With the rise of snackable content (paved by the digital video app TikTok), people’s attention spans have surely gotten smaller. In fact, the average attention span nowadays is eight seconds.

In order to find success on platforms like TikTok, you have to be able to hook your viewers in the first three seconds. In the case of Squid Game, the burns were slow but the shocks were fast.

Take for instance, the slap match game where Gong Yoo’s character slaps Lee Jung Hae’s character. It shocks you at first and you feel for the victim, but this is just one of the preliminary shocks that build-up to the challenges themselves.

In the world of branding, there were several shocks that rocked the globe. The Instagram rebrand was one of them when the logo switched from the brown polaroid camera to a neon pink flattened version.

This is called controversial marketing, where brands do something drastic, but just enough to be the talk of the town.

5. HIT THE NOSTALGIA BUTTON

Postmodernism lingers throughout the world today and is quite obvious in the way we see everything.

From creating dances on TikTok using old jukebox hits to bringing back 90s fashion trends, we are all about the pride of the era we were born in.

In the case of the show, they tap on Korean childhood games. All the games you see on the show are inspired by them. The set is painted in child-friendly colors and even emulates the playgrounds you see around their country.

Tapping into nostalgia marketing is a great strategy, especially if you want to drive new concepts home. Associating recently developed ideas with fond memories elicits trust from your audience.

After all, buying this new product that reminds you of your childhood must be good, right?

POWERFUL STORYTELLING ALWAYS PREVAILS.

While Squid Game may be on everyone’s mouths, know that it will soon see the end of its days. But a concept like this will only pave the way for more trending topics to arise. We’ll just have to wait and see.

Want to learn how to effectively storytell for your brand? Let Near Creative help you out with that.

The 'Squid Game' Story: 5 Powerful Storytelling Techniques