A good business story allows the viewer or reader to imagine themselves as part of the action.

A great business story enables that person to be the hero(ine) in that story.

Which means a Wellington bus-shelter billboard for Auckland University elevates itself into the realm of great.

Make your future self proud

Five simple words capture your imagination and offer an immediate promise.

Firstly, the message is doubly personalised – ‘your’ and ‘future self’.

It has action and intent – ‘make’.

And most importantly of all it has a metaphor which is directly applicable to the viewer – ‘proud’. We can picture our own pride…which can only be a positive emotion.

Moving beyond the five words, you’ve got to look to see how you can achieve this state of happiness.

Ah, Auckland University, along with a better-find-out-what-this-means URL, neverstop.ac.nz (which, surprise, surprise, takes you to Auckland University).

Wish I’d thought of it! (As this Facebookerer did)

(And if you want help to craft your own first story, and not just imagine it, give Punchline a yell).