New to narrative shift? We got you.

Dear John,

Can you believe that ads like these used to be acceptable in American society?

The depiction of “traditional” gender roles shown in these ads was a common and pervasive narrative in American life. Back in the day, advertisers and ad agencies (you know, like the AMC TV series, Mad Men) understood the impact narrative can have on creating a vision of our world. What we see in ads, media, art, to name a few, can form societal stories, or narratives. And these narratives continuously define the way we understand issues and make decisions.

The stories we're told shape who we are, and then we shape what our world looks like.

New to this whole narrative thing?
Don’t worry, The Opportunity Agenda’s got you.

This is what we do at The Opportunity Agenda! We know that narratives are the key to creating positive social change and opportunities for all. We work to shift harmful narratives, like the ones in these ads, towards ones that center equity, justice, and opportunity.

Want more info on narrative and narrative change?

🎧 Why don’t you listen to episode one of TOA’s Shifting the Narrative podcast, “What is Narrative?”.

📺 Or check out our YouTube video “What TV Gets Wrong About Getting By” from our #PowerOfPop series.

🎤 More of a Ted Talk person? Here’s the academic Donald R. Guillory giving a TEDx talk on “The Importance of Narrative.”

We hope you find these tools helpful. Stay tuned for more fun and helpful narrative change stories from The Opportunity Agenda!

Warmly,

P.S. The narrative strategy trainings and values-based messaging tips TOA is known for are free, open-source, and depend on support from people like you. Visit our website to give today.