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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Find the Assumption
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Apply the Reveal
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Measure the Shift
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TV Ad - 60-second spot for a mattress 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 - Blog post for a hiring 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 for a personal finance educator
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 - Post about startup growth metrics
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 - Launch email for a skincare 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...
Sales deck - Opening for a marketing attribution 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...
Brand Strategy Usage
Category Myth Destruction
Dismantling the industry's false narrative
Detailed strategy breakdown with step-by-step implementation guide...
Founder Vulnerability as Brand Positioning
Making the founder's past self the unreliable narrator
Detailed strategy breakdown with step-by-step implementation guide...
Competitive Repositioning Without Attacking
Making the category's logic the villain
Detailed strategy breakdown with step-by-step implementation guide...
When to use
Myth-busting content where you need to dismantle a common industry assumption or belief
Repositioning campaigns where the market's current understanding of your category is wrong
Thought leadership where challenging conventional wisdom creates credibility and differentiation
Case studies where the client's initial diagnosis was wrong and the real problem was hidden
When NOT to use
When the 'unreliable' perspective is a strawman - the false belief must be something your audience actually holds
In trust-building moments like onboarding or customer support - playing with truth erodes trust in the wrong context
When the reveal isn't genuinely surprising - if the 'truth' is obvious, the technique feels condescending
When it could be misinterpreted as the brand itself being deceptive - the unreliable narrator must be clearly framed as a perspective, not a brand statement
Related storytelling techniques
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an unreliable narrator in marketing?
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Isn't using an unreliable narrator deceptive?
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How do you use an unreliable narrator without alienating your audience?
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What's the difference between myth-busting and the unreliable narrator technique?
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Can the brand itself be the unreliable narrator?
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