INDEXTRACK: STRATEGYTRACK: CREATIVE

Subject ID

M04-M4_

UNCLASSIFIED
Module 04

M4 L2 Project Brief

Project Brief: The Brand Universe Blueprint

Module: 4: The Creator's Playbook: Branding, Storytelling, and Influence in the AI Era Lesson: 2: Building a Universe: Narrative, Lore, and Metagame as Brand Strategy

1. Objective

Your objective is to design the foundational elements of a deep and engaging brand universe. You will apply the concepts of Narrative Engineering, Lore, and Metagame to develop a blueprint for a brand's story world. This project will test your ability to think beyond a simple brand identity and architect a participatory experience that fosters a loyal community.

2. The Mission

Imagine you are a creative strategist at a new, ambitious startup. The company has a great product, but no story, no soul. The founders have hired you to build a brand that people will not just buy, but fall in love with. They don't want a traditional marketing plan; they want you to build a universe.

Your mission is to create the blueprint for this universe. You will define the core narrative, create the first piece of discoverable lore, and design an engaging metagame to draw people in.

3. Your Task

You will choose a simple, everyday product category (e.g., coffee, a notebook, a candle, a software app) and build a brand universe around it. You are not designing the product itself, but the story world in which it exists.

Your workflow should be:

  1. Define the Core Narrative: What is the big story? Who is the hero (your customer)? What transformation does your brand enable?
  2. Create the Lore: Develop a foundational piece of lore that hints at a deeper story.
  3. Design the Metagame: Create a simple, actionable metagame that invites your audience to participate in the universe.

4. Key Requirements

Your Brand Universe Blueprint must contain the following three sections:

Part 1: The Core Narrative (The Hero's Journey)

  • Using the Hero's Journey as a framework, briefly outline your brand's core narrative.
    • The Hero: Who is your customer? What is their ordinary world?
    • The Call to Adventure: What problem or desire calls them to seek a solution?
    • The Mentor: How does your brand act as the mentor or guide?
    • The Magical Aid: What is your product, and how does it help the hero?
    • The Transformation: After using your product, how is the hero transformed? What "boon" do they bring back to their world?

Part 2: The Foundational Piece of Lore

  • You must create one piece of discoverable lore. This should be a "narrative object" that hints at a much larger story. You can choose one of the following formats:
    • An Artifact: Describe a physical object related to your brand. What is its strange origin? What cryptic symbols are on it? (e.g., "A single, antique coffee bean, supposedly recovered from a sunken ship, with a strange map carved into its surface."). Consider how the visual design of this artifact reinforces the brand's identity.
    • A Fragment of Text: Write a short, mysterious piece of text. This could be a fragment of a founder's diary, a strange poem, or a redacted document. It should not be an advertisement.
    • A Myth or Legend: Write a short, fictional story (2-3 paragraphs) that tells a myth about the origin of your product or a key ingredient.

Part 3: The Metagame

  • Design one simple metagame that you would use to launch your brand and build its initial community. This should be an actionable plan.
  • Your metagame should be inspired by the tactics of brands like Corteiz. It must:
    • Create a sense of exclusivity and discovery.
    • Be participatory, requiring the audience to do something.
    • Reinforce the core narrative of your brand.
  • Example for a coffee brand: "We will release the coordinates to a hidden pop-up coffee cart in a major city via a cryptic clue on our Instagram story. The first 50 people to find the cart and say the password ('found in the lore text') get a free coffee and the antique coffee bean artifact." Ensure the metagame elements are visually consistent with your brand's aesthetic.

5. Format and Deliverable

  • Format: A single, well-structured Markdown document.
  • Length: Approximately 800-1200 words.
  • Deliverable: A .md file named Brand_Universe_Blueprint.md.

7. Tips for Success

  • Be Original: While you can draw inspiration from existing brands, strive to create a truly unique brand universe.
  • Consistency is Key: Ensure that your narrative, lore, and metagame all feel like they belong to the same world. Every detail should reinforce the brand's identity.
  • Think "Discoverable": Your lore should invite exploration. Don't reveal everything at once; leave room for the audience to discover and piece together the story.
  • Actionable Metagame: Your metagame should be something that people can actually do. Make it clear how the audience participates.

6. Evaluation Criteria

Your blueprint will be evaluated on the following criteria:

  • Narrative Strength (40%):
    • How compelling and well-structured is your core narrative?
    • Does it effectively use the Hero's Journey framework to create a clear emotional arc for the customer?
    • Is the brand's role as a mentor or guide clearly articulated?
  • Creativity & Depth (40%):
    • How creative and intriguing is your foundational piece of lore? Does it hint at a rich, deeper world?
    • Is your proposed metagame engaging, participatory, and does it effectively leverage the brand's narrative?
    • Does the lore make the evaluator want to know more about the world?
  • Strategic Cohesion (20%):
    • Do the three parts of your blueprint (narrative, lore, and metagame) feel connected and coherent?
    • Do they all work together to support a single, strong brand idea and reinforce its identity?
    • Is the overall vision for the brand universe clear and compelling?

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