Origin & Source
This technique was first described in a seminal work on storytelling and narrative structure. It draws from decades of research into how audiences process and remember stories.
The underlying principle has been validated across multiple disciplines, from screenwriting to brand strategy and content marketing.
Source: Original research and academic publications
The Framework
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Identify the Pattern
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Break It
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Land the Message
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TV Ad - 60-second spot for a financial services brand
A ready-to-use example that you can adapt for your brand...
A ready-to-use example that you can adapt for your brand...
A ready-to-use example that you can adapt for your brand...
B2B SaaS - Landing page hero for an email marketing platform
A ready-to-use example that you can adapt for your brand...
A ready-to-use example that you can adapt for your brand...
A ready-to-use example that you can adapt for your brand...
DTC / Personal brand - Newsletter opener for a career strategist
A ready-to-use example that you can adapt for your brand...
A ready-to-use example that you can adapt for your brand...
A ready-to-use example that you can adapt for your brand...
LinkedIn / Social - Opening line for a recruiter post
A ready-to-use example that you can adapt for your brand...
A ready-to-use example that you can adapt for your brand...
A ready-to-use example that you can adapt for your brand...
Email subject + opener - SaaS product update email
A ready-to-use example that you can adapt for your brand...
A ready-to-use example that you can adapt for your brand...
A ready-to-use example that you can adapt for your brand...
Sales deck - Opening slide for a design agency
A ready-to-use example that you can adapt for your brand...
A ready-to-use example that you can adapt for your brand...
A ready-to-use example that you can adapt for your brand...
Brand Strategy Usage
Category Disruption Campaign
Break the visual and verbal norms of your entire industry
Detailed strategy breakdown with step-by-step implementation guide...
Content Format Innovation
Break the format everyone else is using
Detailed strategy breakdown with step-by-step implementation guide...
Product Launch Anti-Launch
Launch by not launching the way everyone expects
Detailed strategy breakdown with step-by-step implementation guide...
When to use
Social media feeds where your content looks identical to everything around it
Presentations where the audience has been sitting through similar decks all day
Email inboxes where every subject line follows the same formula
Brand campaigns where you need to break out of category conventions
When NOT to use
Regulated industries where breaking format may violate compliance guidelines
User interfaces where unexpected patterns create usability problems
Audiences in distress who need predictability, not disruption
When the interrupt is just weird for weirdness's sake - there must be a message underneath the break
Related storytelling techniques
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Pattern Interrupt in marketing?
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How do you create a Pattern Interrupt without being random?
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What's the difference between a Pattern Interrupt and clickbait?
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Can you overuse Pattern Interrupts?
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Do Pattern Interrupts work in B2B?
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