Why the Best Brand Stories Start With Silence
There’s a moment just before a great ad begins when you hear... nothing. No static, no slogan, no chirpy soundtrack pressed through the algorithmic meat grinder. Just silence. Restraint. In 2024, that’s loud.
Let’s talk about Patagonia. Not the jackets, the pauses. Their latest global video work opens with thirty full seconds of stillness. Just wind whispering through trees in Aotearoa’s Fiordland. You expect something to happen. It doesn’t. And that’s the point. The brand deliberately chose to give the audience space, rather than shove a planet-saving message down our throat. Strange tactic from an activist brand? Maybe. But brilliant in that it respected our time.
Brands need to start treating attention like a borrowed hoodie, not a God-given right. We’re now post-spectacle. The fireworks have fizzled, the ham-fisted TikTok pranks feel tired. Enter the rise of the quiet campaign. Not vague or passive, just... patient. Local examples are following suit, too. The Warehouse Group’s subtle shift towards ambient audio in stores is designed to de-escalate sensory fatigue. Even New World’s wine pairing podcast (which I said I wouldn’t write about but here we are) anchors its pitch in slow, thoughtful storytelling, no boomer radio jingles in range.
Marketing isn’t a volume contest anymore. It's about crafting tension, letting moments breathe, and trusting your audience is bright enough to lean in. The music's still playing, sure, but the rests between the notes? That’s where the new magic happens.
Let’s talk about Patagonia. Not the jackets, the pauses. Their latest global video work opens with thirty full seconds of stillness. Just wind whispering through trees in Aotearoa’s Fiordland. You expect something to happen. It doesn’t. And that’s the point. The brand deliberately chose to give the audience space, rather than shove a planet-saving message down our throat. Strange tactic from an activist brand? Maybe. But brilliant in that it respected our time.
Brands need to start treating attention like a borrowed hoodie, not a God-given right. We’re now post-spectacle. The fireworks have fizzled, the ham-fisted TikTok pranks feel tired. Enter the rise of the quiet campaign. Not vague or passive, just... patient. Local examples are following suit, too. The Warehouse Group’s subtle shift towards ambient audio in stores is designed to de-escalate sensory fatigue. Even New World’s wine pairing podcast (which I said I wouldn’t write about but here we are) anchors its pitch in slow, thoughtful storytelling, no boomer radio jingles in range.
Marketing isn’t a volume contest anymore. It's about crafting tension, letting moments breathe, and trusting your audience is bright enough to lean in. The music's still playing, sure, but the rests between the notes? That’s where the new magic happens.