Create ideas using: Detective-story
Why use a detective story format when I could just explain what my product does?
Because stories are infinitely more memorable than explanations. A detective story is built for mystery and revelation. People follow along trying to solve the puzzle. By the time they get the answer, they're emotionally invested. Your product becomes the solution to a mystery people cared about solving. That involvement creates memory and belief way stronger than a straightforward pitch. Detective stories are also endlessly entertaining—people don't resent you for telling them; they're engaged from start to finish.
How do I make the detective story end with my product feeling natural instead of forced?
The product has to actually solve the mystery. Plant clues that point to your solution without making it obvious. Build real tension. Make people want the answer. When your product reveals the solution, it should feel satisfying—like the final piece clicking into place. The best detective stories in advertising make you say 'of course, that's exactly what I needed to solve this.' The product doesn't feel forced; it feels inevitable.
Example: How it could look
A cybersecurity brand could structure a campaign like a mystery: 'Someone is stealing your data, but you have no idea how or who.' Follow the clues—show telltale signs of a breach, piece together the puzzle. The mystery gets solved: it's a specific vulnerability in software. The product they're promoting is the detective—the software that found the theft and stopped it. The brand becomes the hero of the mystery, not just another vendor.
Or like this:
Why is Detective-story a great technique?
Detective-story campaigns work because they use narrative tension to engage audiences—making them invested in solving the mystery and discovering the solution.
Builds engagement through mystery and puzzle-solving
Creates emotional investment in the solution
Makes product feel inevitable, not forced
Generates high shareability through compelling narrative
The best detective campaigns don't feel like advertising—they feel like a story worth following. When people are invested in solving the mystery, revealing your product as the solution feels satisfying.
! When not to use the Detective-story Technique
When the mystery is confusing instead of compelling. If people get lost in the narrative or don't understand the clues, you've failed. Also skip it if the product doesn't actually solve the mystery elegantly—if the solution feels like a non-sequitur, the whole campaign falls apart.
Technique first described by www.deckofbrilliance.com