W Shape Deep Dive

Introduction

Welcome to the journey Shape. These are the factory tours, the history lessons, the product demos—anything where you have distinctly different aspects of something that you want people to explore. Need to check a lot of boxes? Share a lot of backstory? Go deep on your process? The W Shape might be just the ticket.

The heart of the W Shape is the distinct exhibits shown during the tour. The guide directs your attention to the painting of the lilies, then the painting with the haystacks, and then the one with the big stars in the sky.
If you can restrain yourself from listing facts and develop the skill of collecting them in chunks of information, the W Shape can be one of the sharpest tools in your belt.

How it works

Step 1: Pitch — Get people to take the ride

The problem with the W Shape is that nobody wants to go on your tour. Your listeners didn’t ask to care about your brand. You’re asking them. Sure, some diehards might be interested automatically if your brand is lucky enough to have earned a few, but it’s best not to count on it. The first part of your manifesto is going to be earning the listeners’ attention. I think of that as the Pitch.

This is how the W Shape got its name. I picture that first downward stroke as a diverging path. People are not naturally headed in the direction of your story. You need to get them to divert. You need to pull them in and send them down a new path toward what you want to talk about.

The Pitch is what makes that possible. Think of it as the grabber, the enticing detail, the thing that’s impossible to ignore. You don’t need to talk about your problem, although you can. You just need to be completely captivating. Some are short, some are long, but all of them are designed to suck the listeners into wanting more.

This Volkswagen missed the boat. The chrome strip on the glove compartment is blemished and must be replaced. Chances are you wouldn’t have noticed it; Inspector Kurt Kroner did …
—from “Lemon,” Volkswagen

You might wonder how the W Shape is different from the S Shape. One key thing I look for is the opening line. Is it trying to outline a problem or hook me with something interesting?

… Here’s a true story about a young lad named John. Just a local farm boy, but there was something special about the lad, a glint in his eye, a fire in his belly, a spring in his step. And one day he went for a walk …
—from “The Man Who Walked Around the World,” Johnnie Walker

This trick of just being interesting works so well that you can actually just make up the entire script if you want to. You absolutely have to make sure people know it’s a joke, but if you establish that first, you can have a lot of fun:

Y’know, people come up to me {Ryan Reynolds} all the time and say, “What makes Aviation Gin so delicious?” Most of the time, I run away because non-celebrities frighten me. But here is the answer …
—from “The Process,” Aviation Gin

Humor, satire, sarcasm, and farce all work incredibly well with the W Shape. If you want to have a good time, go for it. The earlier you can help people catch on, the better:

Hello Richard, I’m Caroline Williams, CEO of Bodyform. We read your Facebook post with interest, but also a sense of foreboding and I think it’s time we came clean. We lied to you, Richard. And I want to say sorry. Sorry …
—from “The Truth,” Bodyform

Whatever you decide for your opener, you have one main goal. Make people buy a ticket onto your tour bus. Once that happens, it’s time to show them the sights.

Step 2: Stops — Distinct aspects of your argument

This is not a five-paragraph essay. Your only goal is to be captivating. Just remember to think of these as chunks, not just a list of examples. (If that’s what you have instead, try the Z Shape.) I remember the difference with the middle points of the W. There’s one at the bottom, one at the top, and another at the bottom. This makes me think of distinct locations. Here, now there, now over there.

A good rule of thumb is find the three most significant aspects to include, then take time with each one.

… There are 3,389 men at our Wolfsburg factory with only one job: to inspect Volkswagens at each stage of production. (3000 Volkswagens are produced daily; there are more inspectors than cars.)
Every shock absorber is tested (spot checking won’t do), every windshield is scanned. VWs have been rejected for surface scratches barely visible to the eye.
Final inspection is really something! VW inspectors run each car off the line onto the Funktionsprüfstand (car test stand), tote up 189 check points, gun ahead to the automatic brake stand, and say “no” to one VW out of fifty …
—from “Lemon,” Volkswagen

This script covers a lot of ground, but notice how there are three distinct sections: (1) we see the workers, (2) we see their diligence, and (3) we see the final inspection. Three stops. When I read this script, I can feel myself being led around the factory, as if they’re saying, “Look at these men, now look what they do, now look how we finish the job.” Most manifesto tours aren’t of actual factories. This Aviation Gin example takes us around the compound.

… It begins each morning at 4am. The distillers of Aviation Gin rise to greet the new day with four hours of silent meditation.
From there, it’s a quick scoot down to the grove. The citrus fruits are misted only with the tears of Aviation’s owner. Me, Ryan Reynolds.
All of our botanicals are humanely caught. Cage-free and grain-fed. The reason some people don’t drink gin is that strong juniper taste. So, after apologizing to each berry individually. We beat the living hell out of them. Creating a smoother, more refined finish.
To ensure that heavenly taste, every bottle of Aviation is Ordained by the Unitarian Church of Fresno, California. And then, before it departs home, serenaded with the healing music of Sarah McLachlan …
—from “The Process,” Aviation Gin

This script has four stops: (1) silent meditation, (2) the citrus grove, (3) the berries, and (4) final touches.

Within each stop, multiple details can be mentioned. I summarized the fourth paragraph as “Final Touches,” even though one could argue that the church and the serenading were two different stops. That’s certainly fine, although to me, it feels more like those are two aspects of a final blessing given to each bottle.

Not all tours are literal. Some manifestos will walk people through the details of a product. In the following example from (RED), we’re given a journey through all aspects of what (RED) is. They take us through four stops: the products offered, the distribution process, the founding belief, and the business model. Each one is written simply.

… (RED) is that simple an idea, and that powerful. Now, you have a choice. There are (RED) credit cards. (RED) phones, (RED) shoes, (RED) fashion brands. And no, this does not mean they are all red in color, although some are.
If you buy a (RED) product or sign up for a (RED) service, at no cost to you, a (RED) company will give some of its profits to buy and distribute anti-retroviral medicine to our brothers and sisters dying of AIDS in Africa.
We believe that when consumers are offered this choice, and the products meet their needs, they will choose (RED), and when they choose (RED) over non-(RED), then more brands will choose to become (RED) because it will make good business sense to do so. And more lives will be saved.
(RED) is not a charity. It is simply a business model. You buy (RED) stuff, we get the money, buy the pills and distribute them. They take the pills, stay alive, and continue to take care of their families and contribute socially and economically in their communities …
—from “The (RED) Manifesto,” (RED)

By far, the easiest type of W Shape manifesto to conceive is just a good story. I’ve called these history lessons, but they’re really just narratives at heart. The pinnacle of these is “The Man Who Walked Around the World” by Johnnie Walker. We’re taken on a six-minute journey from a teenage grocery store owner to one of the most influential alcohols on the planet.

Here’s one small piece, but the entire script is worth a close read:

… But young Alexander wasn’t content with being Scotland’s biggest blender. Not ambitious enough for him. No, no. He convinced the ships’ captains of Glasgow to act as agents for him, and drove the whisky bearing his father’s name across the globe. By 1860, he had developed the square bottle, now with a label at an angle of precisely 24 degrees. No big deal, you might think, but you’d be wrong. The square bottle meant less breakages and more bottles per shipment. The diagonal label meant larger type and together that meant Johnnie Walker had unmistakable presence on any shelf in the world. The bottle became an icon, and the rich liquid it contained sought after and consumed across the globe …
—from “The Man Who Walked Around the World,” Johnnie Walker

When writing a backstory, I recommend putting down every single detail you have into a big sequential list. Leave nothing out, and don’t craft it yet. Just make sure you understand the complete timeline. Do research. Fill in all the holes. Then, go through and highlight which details have had the most significant impact on your story. Look for things that changed opinion, shifted policy, affected culture, established new norms, and so on.

This exercise should help you determine what absolutely must go in and what would be nice to have. Then, pull out a fresh sheet of paper and tell us about it.

Another question you may have is how to structure your points if there’s not already a linear sequence baked in. There are two answers to this. First, if the examples truly don’t have an order, you might want to write a Z Shape instead. One thing that separates the W Shape is whether the examples can be randomized and still make sense. With Z Shapes, they can. With W Shapes, they usually can’t.

The reason is that there’s a certain progression to W Shape examples that is built into the concept. History lessons naturally take us through time. Factory tours naturally take us from start to finish. Similarly, for stories and arguments.

However, if you find yourself with a rare exception to this rule, there are ways to create a sequence. My favorite way is to go big, bigger, biggest—where each example is more significant, meaningful, or dramatic than the one before. For example, you could show how something affects one person, then a community, then the world. Or you could show how something changed one aspect of a company, then an industry, then all industries.

The following example from Bodyform pulls back deeper and deeper layers of truth on Richard.

What you’ve seen in our advertisements so far isn’t a factual representation of events. We actually created those films to protect you and other men from the harsh realities of womanhood. You’re right. The flagrant use of visualizations such as skydiving, rollerblading, and mountain biking (you forgot horse riding, Richard) are actually metaphors. They’re not real.
I’m sorry to be the one to tell you this but there’s no such thing as a “happy period.” The reality is, some people simply can’t handle the truth.
In the past we’ve tried to be more honest in our approach. In the 1980s we ran a series of focus groups to help us gauge the public’s reaction to periods. The cramps, the mood swings, the insatiable hunger. And yes, Richard, the blood coursing from our uteri like a crimson landslide …
—from “The Truth,” Bodyform

There are many options. While the following example from Apple is structured chronologically, another way to think about it is past, present, and future.

… Putting real computer power in the hands of the individual is already improving the way people work, think, learn, communicate and spend their leisure hours.
Computer literacy is fast becoming as fundamental a skill as reading or writing. When we invented the first personal computer system, we estimated that over 140,000,000 people worldwide could justify the purchase of one, if only they understood its benefits.
Next year alone, we project that well over 1,000,000 will come to that understanding. Over the next decade, the growth of the personal computer will continue in logarithmic leaps.
We look forward to responsible competition in the massive effort to distribute this American technology to the world. And we appreciate the magnitude of your commitment …
—from “Welcome, IBM. Seriously.” Apple

These internal structures are important for the writing of the manifesto, but you don’t have to worry about whether listeners are conscious of the framework you’ve created. Never feel the need to point it out specifically. You can trust that they will feel the sequence intuitively and reward you with their attention throughout.

At this point in the manifesto, the hard part is done. We should be about two-thirds to three-fourths of the way through the piece. We’re two steps away from bringing this home. First, we have to tell listeners what it all means.

Step 3: Wrap — Telling us what it all means

This is the point in the manifesto where you connect everything to your brand, your concept, or your CTA.

I like to think of this as the Wrap because you can take time to wrap up a few loose ends. You don’t have to rush through it. If your manifesto has been entertaining up to this point, the listeners will give you some space. Most Wraps overwhelmingly start with the word “So,” but you can also use “because,” “until,” “that’s why,” or nothing at all.

… So, we’d knew we’d have to change our strategy. And so, from that day to this, we have manage to maintain this illusion. But you, Richard, have torn down that veil and exposed this myth, thereby exposing every man to a reality we hoped they would never have to face. You did that, Richard. Well done. I just hope you can find it in your heart to forgive us …
—from “The Truth,” Bodyform

If you’re writing a funny script, you can be funny here, too:

… Some might call this overkill. But the next time you visit your local mixologist and you murder that silky-smooth Aviation martini, well who’s the killer now, asshole …
—from “The Process,” Aviation Gin

If you’re writing a shorter script, feel free to keep it short. Just make sure you don’t lose focus. You still have to tell people what it means. What does all this add up to?

… Until everything we touch enhances each life it touches …
—from “Intention,” Apple

If you’re not sure where to start, explain it in the simplest, most basic language possible. This example from (RED) is one of my favorites. Despite its simplicity, it’s incredibly clear, and people leave knowing precisely what (RED) cares about:

… If they don't get the pills, they die. We don't want them to die. We want to give them the pills. And we can. And you can. And it's easy …
—from “The (RED) Manifesto,” (RED)

Another trick is to think about what you would want one of your fans to say to a skeptic. Or better yet, what can you arm your fans with to help defend them against critics?

… This preoccupation with detail means the VW lasts longer and requires less maintenance, by and large, than other cars. (It also means a used VW depreciates less than any other car.) …
—from “Lemon,” Volkswagen

You may come up with something entirely new that will work just as well. The thing to focus on most is just the simple question of why. Why did you tell us everything you just told us?

… And we appreciate the magnitude of your commitment. Because what we are doing is increasing social capital by enhancing individual productivity …
—from “Welcome, IBM. Seriously.” Apple

A few scripts stop here, but the vast majority have one final step to go. Since we just took care of the business in Step 3, we want to make sure the listener leaves with the right note. Controlling that takeaway is Step 4.

Step 4: Button — Leaving with a final thought

Nearly every great manifesto with this structure has a final line, joke, thought, or comment at the very end. Importantly, this is not a summary or a wrap. It’s an add-on, a leave behind, a final smile.

I call this the Button simply because that’s the term for the final moment after the logo in a commercial. I don’t know if manifesto writers realize they’re doing this or if they would even appreciate me classifying the end of their scripts this way, but I think they intuitively sense that a final note is needed in scripts like this.

Usually, this is something lighthearted, random, or funny:

… We pluck the lemons; you get the plums.
—from “Lemon,” Volkswagen

… An American original. Now owned by a Canadian.
—from “The Process,” Aviation Gin

Occasionally, this is more meaningful or emotive. In each of these, notice the difference between these and the ending to the S Shapes and Z Shapes. The following examples are not the points of the spot or the POV. This is just an extra something to think about in addition to the main takeaway expressed in the Wrap.

… Only then do we sign our work: Designed by Apple in California.
—from “Intention,” Apple

… Bad news for climate change. Good news for our existence.
—from “Extinction Ends Here,” Air Company

Buttons can also take the form of a challenge to the listener or the audience of the piece.

… All you have to do is upgrade your choice.
—from “The (RED) Manifesto,” (RED)

In longer scripts, you may need or want to take more time for the sign-off. Don’t shy away from this if you think you can keep attention through it.

… We've got a confession to make. It's got nothing to do with heaven. People are as smart as we are. That's why we tell the truth.
—from “Let’s Tell the Truth,” DDB

That’s the last piece for the W shape. As long as the Wrap firmly conveys the point of the spot, you have many options for making Buttons your own.

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