Escape the blandscape.

The blandscape is an idea I discuss in detail in STORY BUSINESS, in the chapter on Brand Storytelling. It’s the trap brands fall into when their stories all sound the same. Get your copy today. -Gavin

Picture this: David Harbour, the actor from Stranger Things, driving a car as the sun sets. A classic car ad. Suddenly, it cuts to another scene. Now, he’s laughing with friends at a bar—a beer ad. Same guy, different setting. Then a twist. Harbour turns to the camera and asks, “Is it a car ad? Is it a beer ad?”

The answer: no. It’s a Tide ad.

That Super Bowl campaign worked because it spoofed the generic. The bland. The ads we don’t remember. Tide escaped what celebrated sci-fi and fantasy author Ursula K. LeGuin once called the “blandscape”—a place where stories all sound the same.

Business has its own blandscape. You check into a hotel and can’t tell which chain you’re in. You buy life insurance and can’t remember the company’s name. Perfectly logical, polished, professional—but indistinguishable.

What is the blandscape?

LeGuin used the term to critique copycat fantasy novels. Tolkien wannabes with dragons, swords, and castles you could swap out like Lego bricks.

Brands fall into the same trap. They build worlds that look right on the surface but lack soul. Airlines, banks, insurance companies—they speak in features and fine print. You can swap the logos and barely notice the difference.

That’s the blandscape.

Why most business stories fail.

In Story Business, I define story as information wrapped in emotion. Emotion leads to action; reason leads to judgment.

Yet most business stories stay on the reason side of the equation. They pile on features, differentiators, and bullet points. “We bring X.”

The result? Customers evaluate. Compare. Delay. They don’t act.

A simple formula.

Here’s a better way to tell the story: The Hero Formula:

We bring X to Y to deal with Z.

• X is your product—the magic bean.
• Y is your customer—the hero of the story.
• Z is the villain—the problem they face.

Most brand stories stop at X. “We bring features.” The magic bean never makes it out of the packet.

But when you frame your customer as the hero, define their villain, and show how your product helps them win, you give the story momentum.

Six ways to escape the blandscape.

1. Make your customer the hero

Don’t put the spotlight on yourself. Too many brands start with “we.” Start with “you.” Let your customer own the stage.

2. Name their villain

Every story needs conflict. Friction, confusion, inefficiency, or a rival—make the enemy visible. Without a villain, there’s nothing to fight.

3. Cast your product as the guide

Your brand isn’t the hero; it’s the helper. The Obi-Wan to Luke. The Gandalf to Frodo. Helpers win trust and loyalty because they empower, not overshadow.

4. Spark emotion

Logic earns judgment; emotion drives action. Ask yourself: does this story make someone feel excited, curious, proud, or safe? If not, it’s just a feature list in disguise.

5. Strip out the noise

Omission sparks imagination. Bond never flosses. Horror films never show the monster in daylight. Give just enough for people to get it—and let them fill in the rest.

6. Show the contrast

Brands that stand out sharpen the edges. Tide wasn’t a detergent ad; it was the only story in the Super Bowl where everyone’s clothes were clean. Put your difference in lights.

The great escape.

Think about 5G. Somewhere, an engineer knew exactly what it did. But the story never made it to consumers. All we heard: “It’s one better than 4G.” A story stuck at the feature level.

Now look at ChatGPT. Few people know what “GPT” stands for, let alone how it works. But “Chat”? Everyone gets that. It’s human. Inviting. Actionable. That story turned AI from an academic niche into an overnight sensation.

Circling back (corporate jargon alert!) to Tide. Surrounded by a blandscape of beer ads selling beer and car ads selling cars, Tide didn’t sell detergent. It sold confidence and clean clothes. 

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Gavin.

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There’s a book!

Story Business. How stories and ideas make the world go round ...

Now available. More here.

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Shout out.

The incomparable Eugene Yoon does many of the illustrations for this newsletter. She is amazing; Alexandra McMahon assists her from time to time. And thank you, Giovanni Olla, for the legwork, edits, and revisions.

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