Pixar’s 22-Rule Storytelling Formula: How to Apply It to Your Marketing

Tell it smart to win their heart

5 min readAug 1, 2025

At Breadnbeyond, we’ve learned that creating an effective explainer video is about telling a story that resonates with the audience.

That’s why Pixar’s 22 Rules of Storytelling have somehow become our reference in our creative process.

By weaving these storytelling rules into our videos, we can connect with our audiences on a deeper, more emotional level. Something that features alone cannot achieve.

Through this article, we’ll share how you can apply these rules to your marketing (we’ve included some examples from our work at Breadnbeyond, too!)

Related article: Tell Brand Stories With Explainer Videos

1) You admire THE RESULTING BENEFITS & VALUE OF YOUR PRODUCT more than the FEATURES.
2) Remember what’s interesting to THEM as a CUSTOMER, not what’s fun to do as a MARKETER.
3) Trying for TAGLINE is essential, but you won’t see HOW YOUR PRODUCT DIFFERENTIATES until you’re at your VALIDATED MESSAGING PROCESS. Then, rewrite.
4) In a buyer-driven marketplace, strong messaging makes THE CUSTOMER THE HERO, not your PRODUCT. Empathize with their pain points and show how your products help solve them.
At Breadnbeyond, this point comes in handy for crafting explainer videos that not only inform but also emotionally connect with audiences.
For example, when we were working with ADAA, instead of jumping straight into technical psychological jargon, we applied Rule #4.
We interpreted the rule as: “Every character has to want something, even if it’s just a glass of water,” and framed the story around a curious student who accidentally clicks on a phishing email.
5) Simplify AND GROUP MESSAGES. Hop over detours. You’ll feel like losing valuable stuff, but it sets you free.
This rule is also applied in our work process. Clients often come with long and detailed briefs, but attention spans are short.
In a video we created for an app developer in the CRM and CMS Industry, we focused on a single relatable use case instead of listing every feature. Here’s one example:
This keeps the message sharp, and the video performed better in terms of user retention.
6) What is your PRODUCT good at, comfortable with? Throw the polar opposite at them. Challenge them. How do they deal? IF THEY DON’T DEAL WELL ON PAPER, DON’T PUT YOUR SALESFORCE INTO NON-WINNABLE SITUATIONS BY INCLUDING THOSE USE CASES JUST TO INCREASE MARKET OPPORTUNITY
7) Define your ending before the middle. Seriously. Endings are hard; get yours working up front. CAN YOU DISTILL YOUR CORE MESSAGE DOWN TO THREE KEYWORDS OR FEWER?
8) Finish your MESSAGING, even if it isn’t perfect. Move on and do better next time. HOME RUNS ONLY HAPPEN WHEN THEY RESONATE WITH AUDIENCES.
9) If you’re stuck, list the REASONS SOMEONE WOULDN’T BUY YOUR PRODUCT. Often, the material to get you unstuck will show up.
10) Pull apart the MESSAGES FROM SUCCESSFUL PRODUCTS you like. What you want in them COULD BE ADJUSTED AND TAILORED TO YOUR TARGET CUSTOMER; you’ve got to recognize it before you can use it.
11) Putting ideas on paper lets you start fixing them. You’ll never share them with anyone if they stay in your head. COLLABORATE AND MARKET TEST.
12) Discount your first few feature-based ideas. They’re probably obvious. Surprise yourself. LOOK FOR DIFFERENTIATION BEYOND PRODUCT FEATURES.
13) Give your PROSPECTS AGGRESSIVE OPINIONS. Passive/malleable Q&A might sound nice, but they won’t equip your sales team to face hard questions.
Neutral characters are forgettable. So, at Breadnbeyond, we always try to give our animated protagonists some strong feelings or preferences.
In a video for a household product, we made the main character someone who insists on only using safe products and voices concern about chemical exposure.
This made the character more believable and gave the audience a clear reason to care about the product.
14) Why must you PROMOTE THIS PRODUCT? What’s the belief burning within YOUR COMPANY that your SALESFORCE feeds off? That’s the heart of it.
Rule 14 also applied in our animation-making process.
In an explainer video for a nonprofit organization, the story is driven by the belief in community empowerment and the transformative power of collective action.
The narrative highlights initiatives designed to spread awareness about food wastage and align with the organization’s core values and mission. This storyline makes the video not only engaging but also emotionally resonant with the viewers.
15) How would you feel in this situation if you were your TARGET CUSTOMER? Honesty BACKED UP BY EXAMPLES AND DATA lends credibility to unbelievable METRICS AND OUTRAGEOUS CLAIMS.
16) What are the stakes? Give YOUR PROSPECT A REASON TO ROOT FOR YOUR PRODUCT. What happens if they don’t BUY? Stack the odds against.
17) No work is ever wasted. If it’s not working, let go and move on. It’ll return to be useful later. WITH TECHNOLOGY AND MARKETING MESSAGES, WHAT’S OLD IS NEW AGAIN
18) You have to know yourself: the difference between doing your best & fussing. MESSAGING is testing, not refining. YOUR BEST MESSAGE ISN’T WHAT YOU OR YOUR COMPANY THINK IT IS. IT’S WHAT YOUR CUSTOMER TELLS YOU IT IS.
19) FACT-BASED COMPETITIVE JABS to get YOUR COMPETITION into trouble are great, BUT AVOID RUMORS AND INACCURACIES.
20) Exercise: take the building blocks of THE CURRENT MESSAGE OR YOUR COMPETITORS’ MESSAGES YOU DON’T LIKE. Break them apart and rebuild something better.
21) You gotta identify with your TARGET CUSTOMER, don’t just CREATE ‘cool’ MESSAGES. What would actually make THEM BUY?
22) What’s the essence of your MESSAGE? Most economical telling of it? DISTILL IT DOWN TO A FEW KEY POINTS. If you know that, you can build out from there.

In everything we create, our goal is to make people care about what our clients offer.

For us, these rules are part of how we bring emotion into every frame.

Because when a story feels real and the message reaches the audience, that’s when explainer videos truly succeed.

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