Will Storr

And it ended up being an incredibly powerful, powerfully persuasive piece of storytelling for Apple. Like all the ads I talk about in the book, it had no information in it about the actual product. It had no price, no technical details. It didn't even have a picture of the damn thing. It was pure storytelling and incredibly successful.

And then, you know, one scholar in marketing that I read and I agree, you know, argues that that 1904 didn't just tell a brand new story about Apple computers. It told a brand new story about Silicon Valley, about computers in general. That story about, yeah, computers being the tools for creativity and changing the world and freedom, that became the story of computers going on for decades.

And then, you know, one scholar in marketing that I read and I agree, you know, argues that that 1904 didn't just tell a brand new story about Apple computers. It told a brand new story about Silicon Valley, about computers in general. That story about, yeah, computers being the tools for creativity and changing the world and freedom, that became the story of computers going on for decades.

And then, you know, one scholar in marketing that I read and I agree, you know, argues that that 1904 didn't just tell a brand new story about Apple computers. It told a brand new story about Silicon Valley, about computers in general. That story about, yeah, computers being the tools for creativity and changing the world and freedom, that became the story of computers going on for decades.

Curation. Curation. I don't think... I don't think their ads are manipulating our identity, strictly speaking. I think they are manipulating us by appealing to our identity. So, you know, humans, you know, we live in these two worlds at once. We live in the physical world like other animals. And in that physical world, we care about our survival.

Curation. Curation. I don't think... I don't think their ads are manipulating our identity, strictly speaking. I think they are manipulating us by appealing to our identity. So, you know, humans, you know, we live in these two worlds at once. We live in the physical world like other animals. And in that physical world, we care about our survival.

Curation. Curation. I don't think... I don't think their ads are manipulating our identity, strictly speaking. I think they are manipulating us by appealing to our identity. So, you know, humans, you know, we live in these two worlds at once. We live in the physical world like other animals. And in that physical world, we care about our survival.

We care about food and shelter and procreation and, importantly, the environment. safety of our children who are going to then move our genes forwards. So in that respect, we're no different from a dog or an elephant. But humans live in this other kind of crazy world, this story world, where we care about other things. And in the story world, we aren't a flesh and blood machine.

We care about food and shelter and procreation and, importantly, the environment. safety of our children who are going to then move our genes forwards. So in that respect, we're no different from a dog or an elephant. But humans live in this other kind of crazy world, this story world, where we care about other things. And in the story world, we aren't a flesh and blood machine.

We care about food and shelter and procreation and, importantly, the environment. safety of our children who are going to then move our genes forwards. So in that respect, we're no different from a dog or an elephant. But humans live in this other kind of crazy world, this story world, where we care about other things. And in the story world, we aren't a flesh and blood machine.

We're an identity with this collection of ideas. That's what we are. And this identity of means more to us than our lives. You know, like to the average human being, their identity is the most precious thing they'll ever own. I mean, you know, our children's aren't our possessions, but our identity is.

We're an identity with this collection of ideas. That's what we are. And this identity of means more to us than our lives. You know, like to the average human being, their identity is the most precious thing they'll ever own. I mean, you know, our children's aren't our possessions, but our identity is.

We're an identity with this collection of ideas. That's what we are. And this identity of means more to us than our lives. You know, like to the average human being, their identity is the most precious thing they'll ever own. I mean, you know, our children's aren't our possessions, but our identity is.

So, you know, you can see people throughout human history have chosen identity over their own lives. When we go to war, that's what we do. When we fly planes into the World Trade Center, that's what we do. When we kill ourselves, that's what we do. You know, most... cases of suicide are what I call identity failure. It's not because they can't physically live anymore.

So, you know, you can see people throughout human history have chosen identity over their own lives. When we go to war, that's what we do. When we fly planes into the World Trade Center, that's what we do. When we kill ourselves, that's what we do. You know, most... cases of suicide are what I call identity failure. It's not because they can't physically live anymore.

So, you know, you can see people throughout human history have chosen identity over their own lives. When we go to war, that's what we do. When we fly planes into the World Trade Center, that's what we do. When we kill ourselves, that's what we do. You know, most... cases of suicide are what I call identity failure. It's not because they can't physically live anymore.

because they're sick or because they're poor or something. I mean, of course, people do often kill themselves because they're ill, but very often they don't. Very often they kill themselves because they feel like failures, because their identity has failed, because they're lacking in connection. No one loves me. No one likes me. Everybody hates me. They're lacking in status. I'm useless.

because they're sick or because they're poor or something. I mean, of course, people do often kill themselves because they're ill, but very often they don't. Very often they kill themselves because they feel like failures, because their identity has failed, because they're lacking in connection. No one loves me. No one likes me. Everybody hates me. They're lacking in status. I'm useless.

because they're sick or because they're poor or something. I mean, of course, people do often kill themselves because they're ill, but very often they don't. Very often they kill themselves because they feel like failures, because their identity has failed, because they're lacking in connection. No one loves me. No one likes me. Everybody hates me. They're lacking in status. I'm useless.

I'm pathetic. And crucially, they're also trapped. They feel there's no way they can rescue their identity. And the pain of their identity failing becomes so acute that they choose death over... over the pain of having their identity fall to pieces. And so that's the power of identity. And so the most powerful ads appeal to identity.