This Subaru Outback was made for the mythic cowboy ...

Subaru: The Emotional Myths
Behind the Brand's Growth

SAL RANDAZZO Sawy marketers understand that they are not in the business of selling products or
ConsumerWorks services. They are in the business of building and maintaining strong, enduring brands
srandaz20@ that sell and sell and sell. The key to building and maintaining strong, enduring brands
is advertising with a compelling story and a strategic focus ("strategic storied
consumerworks.com advertising"). Advertising with a compelling story and a strategic focus works to
create meaning for the brand and give it an appealing identity and personality that in
turn work to create an emotional connection with the consumer. We are storied
creatures. Our life is a story. We communicate through telling and listening to stories.
Strong, enduring brands use the power of story and/or mythic images to create (or
represent) mytho-symbolic brand building worlds. These mytho-symbolic worlds are
often drawn from archetypal (universal) stories, characters, beliefs, etc. that exist
within our culture . . . and our collective psyche. Storied brands come to represent
appealing mytho-symbolic worlds, with their own mythology, symbolism, and values,
that work to maintain and reinforce the brand's identity, personality, and emotional
connection with the consumer.

NOT SO LONG AGO . . . Subaru was an also-ran Soon after the Paul Hogan advertising began
third-tier Japanese car company, struggling in the running, Subaru showrooms began seeing an in-
shadows of Toyota and Honda. Not any more. crease in buyer traffic. And sales began to in-
Subaru has become a popular brand. Buyers have crease. In fact, Subaru enjoyed seven straight years
been lining up to buy the various models. Even of increasing sales during the time Temerlin Mc-
with a slumping economy, Subaru sales have been Clain was running its Paul Hogan campaign. The
on the rise. stunning comeback astonished the hard-nosed au-
tomotive industry that had already given the car
The turning point came in 1993. Subaru was company up for dead. What happened? What did
limping along, with seven years of declining sales, Subaru do right?
when George Muller, a Subaru executive, made
two important decisions. He decided to focus Undoubtedly, there was a confluence of factors:
solely on importing all-wheel-drive vehicles to Muller's foresight and courage; the fact that the
America. And he hired a new advertising agency, all-wheel-drive Outback offered consumers the
Temerlin McClain of Dallas, which was charged safety and performance of an SUV—but on a
with creating an advertising campaign that would smaller, more fuel-efficient scale that seemed to
launch the all-wheel-drive Outback in America. make more sense; and of course, Temerlin Mc-
McClain decided to use Paul Hogan as the spokes- Clain's fateful decision to use Paul Hogan as the
person for the new Subaru Outback. spokesman for the Subaru Outback. Few would

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SUBARU: BRAND'S GROWTH MYTHS

argue that using Paul Hogan as spokes- Our life is a story, an uncertain, contin- goes on to explain that he uses the per-
man for Subaru was an important factor ually reworked narrative, part truth, part suasive power of story to " . . . speak eas-
in Subaru's amazing success story. The fiction, that is unfolding even as we live ily, openly, powerfully, to reach the heart
question is why? it. The stories we tell reveal a lot about zone . . . to touch us in those soft, unpro-
who we are, who we would like to be, tected places where our decisions are
In an interview, Dennis McClain said, and what is important to us. We tell sto- made" (Spence, 1995, p. 118).
"Paul Hogan was part of the conceptual- ries not only so others can come to un-
ization of the Outback proposition." And derstand who we are, but also so that we MYTHMAKING ON MADISON AVENUE
"right from the beginning," he saw "a can come to understand who we are. We
natural tie-in between the Outback name literally create our sense of self, our identity, At the core of strong brands, we often
and Paul Hogan," the Australian actor through telling and listening to our own find stories, myths, and mythic images
who became famous for his portrayal of half true stories. that resonate with consumers and that
the outback character, Mick Dundee, a.k.a. help to give the brand an appealing iden-
Crocodile Dundee. Freud and Jung both believed that the tity and personality, which in turn works
most important question we could ask is, to create an emotional connection with
In other words, McClain's decision to "what is the myth [story] by which we consumers. Like Hollywood and Disney,
use Crocodile Dundee was not only a live our lives?" We are all searching for Madison Avenue is in the mythmaking
creative decision but also a strategic deci- meaning in our lives. And we look to business.
sion, because consumers associate Paul stories to help us understand the world
Hogan with the appealing Crocodile and find meaning. We are continually com- In pretechnological societies, mythmak-
Dundee Outback character they remem- paring our stories with other people's sto- ing was the purview of the shaman or
ber from the movie. ries in order to try to get ideas and insights medicine man. Joseph Campbell, a disci-
about how we should live our lives. Sto- ple of Jung, said the role of the shaman
Prior to the Crocodile Dundee Outback ries from books, movies, culture, religion, was "to make visible and public the sys-
advertising, Subaru did not have a com- etc. (and yes, advertising) also serve the tems of symbolic fantasy that are present
pelling story. And it had not yet estab- same purpose. in the psyche" (Campbell, 1949, p. 101).
lished a strong brand identity and In a modern, media-driven world, myth-
personality. Subaru was selling an all- THE PERSUASIVE POWER OF A STORY making is the role of the artist, Holly-
wheel-drive product—instead of a brand. But wood filmmakers, and yes, advertising.
consumers buy brands. A brand is more The goal of advertising (whether through Advertising has become one of the most
than a product. A brand is ultimately a building brands or otherwise) is ulti- visible and pervasive art forms in modern
perceptual entity, a host of associations, mately to persuade consumers to buy a cultures.
feelings, imagery, symbolism, etc. that ex- product or service. William Wells says
ists in the mind and hearts of consumers. there are basically two ways to persuade STRATEGIC STORIED ADVERTISING
people: "Lecture or Drama/Story" (Wells,
Paul Hogan's Crocodile Dundee char- 1988). The lecture approach uses logic, The Crocodile Dundee Outback advertis-
acter and the Outback name gave Subaru reason, and rhetoric to persuade us to use ing is a good example of strategic storied
a compelling story and its own unique brand a product: "Buy this product because it advertising, advertising that combines sto-
identity and personality, which made sense has all-wheel-drive." The story or drama rytelling with a strategy. Without an un-
for the brand and connected emotionally approach is a more intuitive approach derlying strategic focus, telling stories, no
with the American consumer. that relies more on feelings and emotions. matter how compelling or entertaining,
Wells describes the story approach as will usually not work to achieve advertis-
WHY A STORY? "transformational"—it takes you inside the ing's objectives. Strategic storied advertis-
story and delivers a message while creat- ing is about finding the right story, a
We are receptive to stories because telling ing an emotional connection with the audience. compelling story that makes sense for the
stories and listening to stories seem to be brand and connects emotionally with the
part of the human condition. Telling sto- In his book How to Argue & Win Every consumer.
ries is a natural and compelling way to Time, Gerry Spence, the highly successful
communicate with consumers. We are sto- criminal trial lawyer, says storytelling is Strategic storied advertising is a narra-
ried creatures. Storytelling is as old as the secret to his phenomenal success. He tive fiction that uses fictitious (or real)
humankind. We tell and listen to stories characters, imagery, situations, symbol-
all the time.

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ism, etc. to not only inform (communicate One of the clearest, most interesting examples of a brand

product information), entertain, and ulti-

mately persuade, but more importantly, that has used the power of strategic storytelling to

to also create meaning for the brand and give

the brand its own unique identity and represent a mytho-symbolic, brand-building world is the

personality.

The real power of strategic storied ad- now-banned Marlboro advertising.

vertising is ultimately in its ability to go

beyond communicating product informa-

tion, entertaining, or short-term selling

strategies. Savvy marketers understand that brands, creating an emotional connection exists in the American psyche, a world
they are not in the business of selling between the brand and the consumer is whose values are freedom, rugged indi-
products or services. They are in the busi- critical. vidualism, and the pioneering spirit.
ness of building and maintaining strong,
enduring brands that sell and sell and USING THE POWER OF STRATEGIC It is important, however, to recognize
sell The real power of strategic storied STORIED ADVERTISING TO BUILD that the mythic cowboy-hero and the
advertising is in its ability to build strong, STRONG BRANDS mytho-symbolic world it represents is just
enduring brands. that—a compelling mythic image that has
Strong brands use the power of story, little to do with reality. The mythic cowboy-
MYTHO-SYMBOLIC WORLDS myth, and mythic images to create (or hero that haunts the American psyche is
represent) mytho-symbolic, brand-building largely fictive, a product of the human
Strategic storied advertising builds strong worlds that are often drawn from arche- imagination, wishful thinking, dime novel
brands by using the power of storytelling typal stories, characters, beliefs, etc. that stories, Hollywood movies, and Ameri-
together with a compelling message or exist within our culture and our collective ca's collective Jungian yearning for a hero.
idea to create or represent mytho-symbolic psyche.
worlds that have their own mythology Sure, once upon a time in America,
(mythic imagery, ethos beliefs/values, sym- Marlboro there were real cowboys, but they had
bolism) and a powerful emotional appeal. If little to do with the mythic cowboy-hero
you click on the Budweiser website, you One of the clearest, most interesting ex- image that has become an American icon.
will enter the mytho-symbolic world of amples of a brand that has used the power Modern America grew up with cowboy
Budweiser—a world that is about enjoy- of strategic storytelling to represent a heroes like the Lone Ranger, with his white
ing beer, sports, partying, etc. It used to mytho-symbolic, brand-building world is hat, stallion called Silver, and two six-guns.
be almost exclusively a man's world, but, the now-banned Marlboro advertising. The
in keeping with the times, it now includes American cowboy is a mythic image that But the reality is very different. Most
women. represents the mytho-symbolic world of real cowboys were actually hard working,
America's western frontier. Marlboro cre- cowpoking, blue-collar workers with low
Paul Hogan's Crocodile Dundee Out- ated one of the strongest, most enduring paying, dirty jobs. And, although mythic
back character and the Outback name used brands in the world by leveraging the cowboy heroes are almost always de-
in the Subaru advertising evoke the ad- powerful, emotional appeal of the mytho- picted as Caucasian, many of the real
venturous mytho-symbolic world of the symbolic world represented by the cow- cowboys were African or Mexican.
rugged Australian Outback. boy and the American west.
Even the term "cowboy" may be prob-
The mytho-symbolic worlds created The cowboy is a uniquely American lematic. In a recent article, Wuerthner (2004)
through advertising work to give brands articulation of the "hero archetype," a uni- cites several sources (Dary, 1981; Jordan,
their unique identity and personality, versally appealing image that comes un- 1993) that trace the likely origin of the term
which in turn work to create an emo- der many guises (cowboy, fireman, knight, "cowboy": "The term cowboy most likely
tional bond between the consumer and etc.). It does not matter that there are very came about on the Texas rangelands, which
the brand. In an overadvertised world, few real cowboys. The mythic cowboy- were largely controlled by wealthy Anglo-
where consumers are confronted with a hero represents the mytho-symbolic world Americans from an antebellum south,
staggering number of product choices and of the American west, a world that still whose black slaves tending cattle were
often referred to as 'boy'" (p. 9).

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No, it is not the image of the hard- success all around the world—the most back crocodile hunter, who is at home in
working, cowpoking cowboy that has
made a lasting impression on America's successful Australian movie ever made. It the Australian Outback, suddenly finds
soul; it is the mythic image of the cowboy
as gunfighter, the wild-west warrior hero was extremely popular in America. In- himself in the middle of New York
that haunts our dreams and shapes our
sensibilities .. . and our politics. Marlboro deed, movie critics were surprised at the City.
has leveraged the powerful appeal of the
mythic cowboy-hero-gunfighter, a "killer movie's enormous appeal, which was able While in New York City, Crocodile
image," to create one of most recogniz-
able brands in the history of advertising. to cut across demographics, ethnograph- Dundee is confronted with a knife wield-

McDonald's ies, geographies, etc. All of this undoubt- ing mugger, a bidet, a transvestite, pros-

McDonald's is another example of a brand edly added to the recognition and appeal titutes, kidnappers, etc. We all recognize
that uses strategic storytelling (along with
promotional advertising) to create a very of the Crocodile Dundee character used and delight in the laughable contrast be-
appealing mytho-symbolic world. Mc-
Donald's strategic storied advertising has in the Subaru advertising. tween the laid back, "innocent" outback
helped to create a wonderfully appealing,
all-American brand, a mythical, family- Interestingly, Paul Hogan actually wrote character of Crocodile Dundee, and the
oriented world, a wondrous, magical place
where everyone is welcome, safe, happy, the script for Crocodile Dundee, "longhand unfamiliar, fast-paced, strange, and, for
loved, kind, caring, sharing, and forever
young or young-at-heart. It does not mat- with a pencil." He drew from all the out- Crocodile Dundee, alien world of New
ter that sometimes when we go there it
feels more like a cafeteria food fight. back characters, stories (crocodile and York City. It is the "country bumpkin"
Strategic storied advertising has helped
McDonald's create a brand with a mytho- otherwise), as well as his own personal versus "city slicker" story.
symbolic world that is a microcosm of all
that is good about America—everything outback experiences. He also drew from The highly regarded Hollywood screen-
America is supposed to be.
his personal experiences as an Australian writer Robert McKee says flat out: the
Subaru
who had once visited New York City, and "story is about archetypes." He goes on
Like Marlboro and McDonald's, Subaru's
Crocodile Dundee Outback advertising how "it was the absolute opposite of the to explain why: " . . . the archetypal story
is another example of how strategic sto-
rytelling, archetypes, and mythic images Northern Territory Outback." Paul Hogan unearths a universally human experience
can be used to create appealing mytho-
symbolic, brand-building worlds. An in- said he saw in this contrast a wonderful . . . its telling illuminates conflicts so true
depth analysis of Subaru's Crocodile
Dundee Outback advertising reveals a opportunity for humor. to humankind that it journeys from cul-
complex structure, with different story el-
ements, and layered archetypal themes But of course, all of this only begs the ture to culture" (McKee, 1997, p. 4).
and imagery that work together.
question: what is the seemingly magical In other words, the powerful appeal of
First, it is important to understand that
the Crocodile Dundee story was a huge appeal of the Crocodile Dundee movie and an archetypal story comes from a univer-

the outback character portrayed by Paul sally recognizable experience, something

Hogan? From whence comes the magic? we can all relate to and understand.

And how did this magic help Subaru? At the same time, McKee also goes on

The Crocodile Dundee story is to explain that a really good archetypal

archetypal—a story with a familiar arche- story also " . . . creates settings and char-

typal (universal) theme: "the stranger in a acters so rare that our eyes feast on every

strange land." The Crocodile Dundee story detail." Storytelling has two parts: the story

turns on a twist of fate, wherein a laid- and the "telling." You not only have to

The highly regarded Hollywood screenwriter Robert McKee
says flat out: the "story is about archetypes." He goes on
to explain why: " . . . the archetypal story unearths a
universally human experience . . . its telling illuminates
conflicts so true to humankind that it journeys from culture
to culture."

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come up with a great story, you also have Here is this laid back Australian Outback character wearing
to tell/present it in a compelling way. a snakeskin jacket, a cowboy style hat festooned with
crocodile teeth, and a really big hunting knife; he likes to
In the Crocodile Dundee story, we are tackle crocodiles with his bare hands, play with snakes,
indeed introduced to the unfamiliar (for use dynamite to catch fish, hypnotize animals, whirl a
most of us) little known, exotic world of bull-roarer, and he feels most at home in the rugged
the Australian Outhack. We are also in- Australian Outback among the Bushmen, whom he regards
troduced to this very interesting charac- as brothers.
ter. Crocodile Dundee, who, on the one
hand, seems to have some similarity to In a recent interview, Denis McClain, Like the mythic American cowboy-hero.
the American cowboy but, on the other the creative director at Temerlin McClain Crocodile Dundee is a uniquely Austra-
hand, is like nothing we have ever seen advertising, says he saw in Paul Hogan's lian articulation of an archetypal or mythic
before. character "a charming and rugged person- image. Crocodile Dundee is a mythic Out-
ification of this [Outback] vehicle—a bit back hero that evokes the mytho-symbolic
Here is this laid back Australian Out- of an unexpected hero, with a natural world of the Australian Outback, a rug-
back character wearing a snakeskin jacket, sense of humor, who brought a sense of ged, outdoors, untamed, adventurous
a cowboy style hat festooned with croco- adventure to the Subaru brand." world that is similar to the American west.
dile teeth, and a really big hunting knife;
he likes to tackle crocodiles with his bare Paul Hogan's charismatic Crocodile The powerful appeal of mythic or ar-
hands, play with snakes, use dynamite to Dundee character also exhibits what the chetypal hero images, represented in char-
catch fish, hypnotize animals, whirl a bull- ancient Creeks called the "cardinal vir- acters like the cowboy and Crocodile
roarer, and feels most at home in the rug- tues." The cardinal virtues are the stuff of Dundee, are their universal appeal and
ged Australian Outback among the native heroes: a man who possesses a sense of their emotional resonance. Like arche-
bushmen, whom he regards as brothers. justice, what is fair, and just; wisdom, a typal stories, archetypal images resonate
practical intelligence—common sense; a in our psyche because they represent uni-
Well-told stories like Crocodile Dundee, disciplined and measured response to a versal yearnings. Jung believed that the
that combine an archetypal or universal problem or crisis; and the courage to take archetypes function somewhat like an in-
experience, with unique characters and action if necessary. stinct to drive and shape our behaviors.
settings that introduce us to new worlds, Jung called them "the world's dreams."
generally have a powerful cross-cultural But there seems to be something about
appeal, which helps to explain why Croc- the Crocodile Dundee character that goes Sometimes, when the world seems like
odile Dundee was so successful all over the beyond Hogan's virtuous charm and hu- its closing in on us, when everything seems
world. mor, something so universally appealing hopeless, and the world is a dark and
that it cuts across time and disparate cul- scary place full of dragons and monsters
The seemingly magical appeal of Paul tures. Women love him. Men want to be ready to swallow us up, we long for a
Hogan's Crocodile Dundee character. In like him. He is a uniquely Australian char- hero who can save us from the dangers of
addition to the powerful, universal ap- acter, and yet he is somehow familiar to the world and make us feel safe again.
peal of the archetypal Crocodile Dundee us all.
story, there is the seemingly magical ap- And a hero, in the form of a mythic or
peal of the Crocodile Dundee character. A mythic Outback hero. Yes, we have archetypal image, emerges from the depths
Some of the magical appeal of Crocodile seen this character before—in our dreams. of our unconscious psyche. The hero is
Dundee is undoubtedly Paul Hogan's in- an extraordinarily, powerful archetypal
nate charismatic charm. In typical "out-
back" fashion, Hogan exhibits an openness
when meeting strangers, and "a playful,
laconic sense of humor." He likes putting
people on. In his biography, Hogan says,
"That's the way Americans see us—we
might as well give them what they want"
(Oram, 1988).

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image because, like the firemen who ran Mythic or archetypal images like "the hero" 1950s, a lot of young baby-boomers wear-
into the World Trade Center, the hero is have a powerful, magical appeal because ing Davy Crockett hats wanted very much
courageous, selfless, and willing to risk they are truly enchanted. They have their to be like Davy Crockett, the mythic
his life to help a stranger. own innate power, which Carl Jung de- frontiersman-hero.
scribed as "numinous," or psychically
In one of his television interviews, Jo- charged. We become possessed by these American frontiersmen like Daniel Boone
seph Campbell recounts an extraordinary images. They fire up our imagination. The and Davy Crockett, as well as fictive fron-
newspaper story about a heroic police- cowboy, knight in shinning armor, fire- tiersman characters like James Fenimore
man who risked his life to save a stranger man, and Crocodile Dundee are all differ- Cooper's "Hawkeye," were bigger than
who was about to jump off a bridge. The ent representations of archetypal or mythic life heroes in the 1880s, who, like the
policeman runs to the edge of the bridge images that speak to our innermost need cowboy heroes, were, and still are, re-
and grabs the jumper, but as he does, for a hero. vered by Americans.
the man jumps, and the policeman is
pulled over the railing with the jumper. But Crocodile Dundee is a special breed Similarly, Crocodile Dundee's Outback
Just as the jumper is pulling the police- of hero. He is not some bigger-than-life frontiersman-hero character is a mythic
man over the bridge, the policeman's part- hero, but rather, a very down-to-earth hero, image associated with the mytho-symbolic
ner grabs him and somehow manages to almost an anti-hero. Crocodile Dundee is world of the rugged, Australian Outback.
hold both of them until others come to a lot like us—except he has the courage to
their rescue. be true to himself, despite the world Crocodile Dundee's mythic Outback
around him. He also has the courage to frontiersman-hero and the mythic Ameri-
Campbell goes on to explain that in confront his fears and the "dragons" that can western frontiersman-hero are both
that moment, the policeman, a young man threaten us all. His honesty and courage men who are still close to nature and
with his whole life ahead of him, a young give us hope, lift our spirits, and give us their natural instincts. They are both prim-
man with a wife and family, hopes and the courage to go forward. And his hu- itive men who are at home in the wilder-
dreams, risked everything to save a manity makes him all the more appealing. ness and who can track animals, live off
stranger. Continuing, Campbell says that the land, ride horses, etc.
in this courageous, selfless act, the young Mythic Outback hero-frontiersman. In
policeman entered the world of the meta- his biography, Paul Hogan talks about While there is a reality to both the Amer-
physical, the world of Christ, Buddha, what he believes is the mythic image rep- ican West and Australia's Outback, they
etc. resented by Crocodile Dundee: " . . . he's a have been mythologized to a point where
mythical outback Australian who does ex- it is difficult to say where mythology ends
The courage of the hero inspires us to ist in part—the frontiersman who walks and reality begins.
be courageous, to discover the hero within. through the bush, picking up snakes and
Crocodile Dundee is such a hero, Joseph throwing them aside and living off the The "Noble Savage." Crocodile Dundee,
Campbell's "Hero with a Thousand Faces," land; who can ride horses and chop down the Outback frontiersman-hero, is also an
the hero that dwells within us all—if only trees, and has that simple, friendly, laid- example of what the French philosopher
we have the courage. back philosophy" (Oram, 1988, p. 159). Jean-Jacques Rousseau called a wild man
or "Noble Savage." Rousseau argues that
"And then a hero comes along . . . " The Crocodile Dundee, and the mythic man was essentially good in the state of
Outback-hero image he represents, is in- nature (just like the animals) before he
lyrics in Mariah Carey's inspirational song deed a frontiersman, similar in his appeal was corrupted by society and the so-
"Hero" say it much more eloquently: to the "American frontiersman." The Amer- called civilized world. Crocodile Dundee,
ican frontiersman, like the cowboy, is a the Outback frontiersman-hero, is an ex-
. . . And then a hero comes along with mythic image associated with the mytho- ample of "a primitive," "a wild man," an
the strength to carry on and you cast symbolic world of the American western "innocent" who has not been corrupted
your fears aside—And you know you frontier. by society.
can survive—So when you feel like
hope is gone—Look inside you and be And, like the cowboy, the frontiers- There is a wonderful moment in the
strong and you'll finally see the truth man was mythologized in dime store nov- original Crocodile Dundee movie, where
. .. That the hero lies in you. els, movies, television shows, etc. In the his innate goodness and innocence comes
to light. Crocodile Dundee, who is visit-
ing New York City, gets into a fight in

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order to protect the honor of a couple of Outback advertising to the success of Sub- ters degrees in psychology and philosophy, and has
"ladies." Dundee does not realize the "la- aru. But at the very least, Paul Hogan and completed his course work for his doctorate in psy-
dies'" are prostitutes. He sees only the his Crocodile Dundee hero-frontiersman- chology. He has served as the chairperson for the
good in people. noble savage character, together with the Qualitative Research Council of the ARR Mr. Randazzo
Outback name, gave the Subaru brand a is also a prolific writer who has published numerous
Crocodile Dundee, the Outback compelling story, and an appealing iden- articles on marketing and research. He has pubiished
frontiersman-hero, the uncorrupted inno- a book titled, Mythmaking on Madison Avenue: How
Advertisers Use the Power of Mytti and Symbolism to
cent, is also similar in his appeal to Tar- tity and personality that connected emo- Create Leadership Brands.

zan, the character created by Edgar Rice tionally with the American consumer. REFERENCES

Burroughs, at the turn of the century Tar- The importance of creating an appeal- CAMPBELL, JOSEPH. The Hero with a Thousand

zan and Crocodile Dundee are both "wild ing brand identity and personality is that Faces. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press,
1949.
men" who are at home with nature, among they work to create an emotional connection
DARY, DAVID. Cowboy Culture: A Saga of Five
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about them that has not been corrupted brand. Consumers begin to feel psycho- JORDAN, TERRY. North American Cattle Ranching
Frontiers: Origins, Diffusion and Differentiation.
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Press, 1993.
They are both "innocents," uncontami- Subaru brand begins to feel "rugged, ad-
MCKEE, ROBERT. Story: Substance, Structure, Style,
nated by the civilized world. venturous, and outdoorsy—like Croco- and the Principles of Screen Writing. New York:
Regan Books, 1997.
Interestingly, like the Crocodile Dundee dile Dundee and the Outback." Some
ORAM, JAMES. C'Day America, The Paul Hogan
movie and advertising. Burroughs' book, consumers even thought Subaru was an Story. Topsfield, MA: Salem House Publishing,
1988.
Tarzan of the Apes, was also hugely suc- Australian car company. Suddenly Sub-
SPENCE, GERRY. HOW to Argue & Win Every
cessful throughout the world. Until he aru seemed like the right choice.
Time. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1995.
wrote the story of Tarzan, Burroughs was Of course, the naysayers will say, "it
WELLS, WILLIAM D . "Lectures and Dramas." In
a man who drifted from job to job, strug- had nothing to do with Crocodile Dundee
Cognitive and Affective Responses to Advertising,
gling to feed his family. In fact, he did not . . . I bought the Outback because it has Pat Cafferata and Alice Tybout, eds. Lexington,
MA: D.C. Heath, 1988.
start writing until he was 36 years old. He all wheel drive. ..." See, that is the funny
WuERTHNER, GEORGE. "Beef-Real Food for Real
was writing pulp fiction for a penny a thing about mythic images. We are not People. Cultural Perceptions of the Cowboy,
Beef, and Its Influence upon Management of
word—until he somehow reached down always conscious that they are working Western Rangelands." Draft, Oregon, 2004: [URL:
www.rangenet.org/directory/wuerthnerg].
into depths of his unconscious and came . . . "except lately, I find that I have this

up with a uniquely compelling story: Tar- overwhelming desire to say 'G'day.'"

zan of the Apes.

Burroughs soon found himself holding SAL RANDAZZO began his market research career at
"a tiger by the tail," a mythic, archetypal, Young & Rubicam where he worked on brands such as
hero character that took the world by Lincoln Mercury, Kodak, and Jeiio. He then served as
storm and made him one of the most strategic planning director at Backer & Spielvogei
famous, most widely-read, and highest where he worked with Bill Backer on the now famous
paid writers of his time. Hollywood Lite All-Star campaign. After Backer and Spieivogel,
quickly recognized the powerful arche- Mr. Randazzo moved to DMB&B as a senior strategist.
typal appeal of Tarzan and made a series Whiie he was at DMB&B, he was tapped by Peter Kim,
of highly successful movies. More re- vice chairman at McCann-Erickson, to join McCann-
cently, Disney created an animated ver- Erickson as the woridwide planning director where he
sion of Tarzan, a story that is still working developed the highly successful communications
its magic on new generations. strategy for Lucent Technologies, for which he won a

gold AME award and silver EFFIE. Mr. Randazzo left

The contribution of Temerlin McClain's McCann-Erickson to start his own market research

Crocodile Dundee advertising. It is dif- company (ConsumerWorks), which specializes in using

ficult to assess the absolute contribution storytelling and archetypes to help clients develop

of Temerlin McClain's Crocodile Dundee and maintain strong, enduring brands. He holds mas-

March 2 0 0 6 JOyilllllL DF HDUERTISIOG BESEHRCH 1 7