The crimes.
The backstabbing.
The whiskey-drinking.
The Patty-Ellen face-offs.
There’s SO much to love about Damages (2007-2012) already, but there’s something else, too…
I love a TV series that plays around with storytelling structure and Damages, starring the incredible Glenn Close and Rose Byrne, does this.
As well as being treated to these two powerhouse performances, the series does something clever with its narrative that makes it so addictive to watch…
Every season begins near the end of the story…
Not right at the end, but in the realm of the disequilibrium (conflict/ chaos part of Todorov’s narrative theory), the end of act two in a ‘three-act structure,’ and before the denouement moment.
This is also the ‘present’ moment in terms of the narrative timeline.
So, you might see a character covered in blood, someone being arrested, a body and then, the story rewinds to the ‘past.’
The rest of the season shows how the characters got themselves into the bloody mess and the events that lead up to this point, per episode, by straddling the ‘present-ongoing storyline’ and the ‘past-unravelling storyline’ alongside it.
It’s a classic storytelling trick…
Start with the outcome, then…
Reveal the journey.
The moment you see that opening scene, you’re asking yourself:
“Wait, how did this happen? I need to know!”
Once that question is in your head, you’ve been hooked, Damages-style.
And this is where the storytelling style connects to marketing, because most brand videos do the opposite…
Typically, brand videos begin with…
- A slow logo animation
- A title card
- A stock photo image
- A Peter Jackson-esque drone shot
Yes, they might look very nice and slick, but it’s not a hook.
If someone doesn’t already know your brand, your logo isn’t the thing that’s going to keep them watching.
(Harsh, but 100% true.)
Especially for video content on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, or Facebook.
I’m not going to talk about X/Twitter. Ever.
Remember, you’ve only got 3-5 seconds to give someone a reason to care, hook them, and keep them watching.
So, the question becomes:
What’s your Damages moment?
Instead of opening with the brand or logo, start with the story tension that makes the viewer stop and think:
- “What’s going ON here?”
- “Why did THAT happen?”
- “I need to see how this ENDS!”
This approach is great for case studies, testimonials, product stories… all of your golden social proof goodness.
Most case studies start with an intro, like this:
“Hi, we’re [brand/ business] and we started using this [tool/ platform]…”
But, what if you flipped it by starting with the outcome?
“We reduced our [task] time by [X%].”
Then, rewind:
“But a year ago, things looked very different…”
Now you’ve created curiosity and curiosity is what keeps people watching.
The main lesson from ‘Damages’ is simple…
The hook should come before the explanation, because people don’t engage as well with stories that are immediately explicit and linear.
They engage when there’s an unresolved ‘plot.’
So, if your brand video starts with a slow logo reveal and a corporate intro sequence…
DELETE! Delete, delete, DELETE!
And think more like Damages.
Speaking of curiosity…
What’s the best opening hook you’ve seen in a brand video recently?
And if you’ve got any tv series with clever storytelling structures, TELL. ME.
Oh, and please Like, Comment, and Share!
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