The Three Question Ad Audit Every Brand Needs to Run Right Now

"Advertising is the loudest, most publicly visible, and highest-stakes storytelling that your brand will do. And one misaligned ad can destroy and erode years of trust that you have built." — Rain Bennett

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DescriptionMost brands treat advertising like a numbers game.

But advertising is still storytelling. In fact, it's the loudest, most publicly visible, and highest-stakes storytelling your brand will ever do. And if that ad is misaligned with your brand narrative, one spot can erase years of trust in a matter of days.

In this solo episode, Rain breaks down the advertising chapter of The Chief Storytelling Officer and the role advertising plays in the Narrative Operating System—the tip of the spear, the ask, the first point of contact between your brand and the people you're trying to reach.

Using the now-infamous 2019 Peloton holiday ad as a cautionary tale and Aviation Gin's rapid-fire response as a masterclass in brand alignment, Rain unpacks exactly what separates an ad that builds community from one that blows it up. He closes with a three-question ad audit you can run on your own campaigns today.

Key Takeaways

In this episode, you will learn to:

Understand where advertising fits in the Narrative Operating System as the tip of the spearDiagnose why the Peloton ad failed — not just as storytelling but as brand alignmentRecognize why Aviation Gin's response worked and what made it possible at that speedAudit any ad in three questions: does it reflect your values, is it recognizable without the logo, and does it invite transformation?Build advertising that invites people into your story world rather than pushing them toward a transaction

Links & Resources

Episodes Referenced:

EP 235 → Marketing and the Narrative Operating System