Not All Heros Wear Capes

Sammanfattning: Purpose: The main purpose of this study is to enhance our understanding of branding communication with mass audiences using ordinary people in myth treatment. Methodology: This qualitative study explores the phenomenon of ordinary people portrayed as heroes in advertisements in an abductive manner. The research has been designed as a case study and the method for coding and analysing has been qualitative content analysis to get as many relevant angles and findings as possible. Findings: Our key findings include new aspects of how the creation of emotions affects consumers through associations in our subconsciousness, how charismatic aesthetics are used in two different ways to credibly portray ordinary people leading to authenticity in the story, and a new discussion of what the essentials of the model Hero’s journey are. This last part is additionally resulting in a shortened Hero’s Journey model which can be a valuable tool for marketers when portraying ordinary people in short advertisement videos. Using this adapted version of the model makes the myth-telling more concentrated and efficient than including the whole 12-step journey.