This is Contagious

Worldbuilding 101: How to turn a brand into an immersive commercial universe

Episode Summary

Tracing a line from Tolkien to Mattel’s toyetics, the Contagious team explores why brands are moving beyond storytelling to create richer, more immersive worlds. We look at the rules that make fictional worlds believable and how worldbuilding can help brands escape commoditisation, fuel always-on creativity and give people something to believe in, belong to and buy into.

Episode Notes

Tracing a line from Tolkien to Mattel’s toyetics, the Contagious team explores why brands are moving beyond storytelling to create richer, more immersive worlds. 

We look at the rules that make fictional worlds believable and how worldbuilding can help brands escape commoditisation, fuel always-on creativity and give people something to believe in, belong to and buy into.

Along the way, we explore:

• How Jellycat’s worldbuilding whimsy helped drive 66% revenue growth
• Why the story is in the world, not the other way around
• The toyetic rules that make Barbie Land believable
• How Disney’s underground Utilidors keep fantasy intact
• When a brand should act like a character, not a company
• How Trader Joe’s became a tiki-themed grocery store and why Londoners carry its tote bags
• Why your brand might need a map more than a sales strategy