Create ideas using: Tell a story: Internal conflict
How do I show internal conflict without it being too abstract?
Make it concrete through specific decisions and visible consequences. Don't just say someone is 'torn'--show them choosing, hesitating, changing their mind, dealing with the aftermath. Internal conflict becomes real when we see it affecting behavior and choices. Specificity is everything.
What if internal conflict feels too personal or heavy for my brand?
Scale it appropriately. Internal conflict doesn't have to be existential--it can be practical. The conflict between wanting convenience and wanting quality, between following a plan and being spontaneous, between fitting in and standing out. These are real internal tensions that connect to purchase decisions without getting heavy.
Example: How it could look
A healthy food brand shows someone standing in a grocery aisle, reaching for junk food, pausing, thinking about their health goals, their energy levels, how they'll feel later. The internal battle of immediate gratification versus long-term wellbeing. No dialogue needed--the hesitation is the story.
Or like this:
Why is Tell a story: Internal conflict a great technique?
Internal conflict stories create deep identification because everyone wrestles with their own contradictions and competing desires.
Creates intimate connection through recognition
Shows brand understands human complexity
Makes resolution feel personally meaningful
Allows audience to project own struggles
Internal conflict is the most relatable story because everyone has their own version. When you show people fighting themselves and winning, you're not just selling products--you're offering hope that making better choices is possible.
! When not to use the Tell a story: Internal conflict Technique
When you're exploiting genuine psychological struggles for sales. Using serious mental health issues or trauma as plot devices is gross.
Technique first described by www.deckofbrilliance.com