Telling the right stories in a crisis
This blog was written by Amelia Webber, one of our in-house Strategists.
Knowing when to tell the right stories is crucial in making people care. In times of crisis, effective storytelling isn't just about relaying facts; it’s about choosing the narratives that resonate, inspire, and create lasting impact. The right stories have the power to cut through the noise, foster empathy, and drive meaningful engagement.
Storytelling is one of the most powerful tools in communications, especially during times of crisis. When facing uncertainty or adversity, it’s easy for a message to get lost in the noise. However, a well-crafted story can break through, creating deeper connections with audiences, rebuilding trust, and even turning a crisis into an opportunity.
Throughout history, companies and brands have used storytelling to adapt to difficult circumstances, reframe challenges, and align themselves with the values that matter most to their communities. From global pandemics to illegal invasions, messaging that focuses on authenticity, empathy, and resilience often come out stronger on the other side.
How do we strategically tell stories?
Since 2022, BFBS Creative has worked closely with the Ministry of Defence (MOD) to communicate key activities and developments from Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. The MOD's immediate goal was to declassify intelligence and share it worldwide to counter Kremlin disinformation. This effort required strategic, high-level communications, and BFBS Creative’s embedded experts played a critical role in identifying disinformation trends, declassifying intelligence, and producing content to communicate the realities of warfare like never before. This led to a first for the UK MOD. Using social media to share intelligence on a overseas conflict.
This immediate approach quickly evolved into a long-term strategy that aimed to keep UK and international audiences not only informed but also engaged in what is now over 1,000 days of conflict. Strategic storytelling has played a pivotal role in sustaining the narrative and keeping the public connected to the evolving situation.
The UK's response to Russia’s war against Ukraine—through military aid, training, and equipment—has a significant emotional weight. Rather than simply presenting government policies or defence strategies, these efforts need to be framed in a way that resonates with target audiences. By constructing the UK’s support into compelling stories, the narrative becomes tangible and human, turning abstract concepts into personal, relatable experiences for our audiences. In 2023, our team of video producers and strategists worked with the MOD to find ways to tell stories of the UK support to Ukraine, starting with a long form documentary highlighting the training programme for the Ukrainian army on the Challenger 2 tanks that were provided by the UK. This included following the stories of the trainers and trainees of these courses, watch our documentary here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9-Eghtai3s
Following this, we went on to produce three standalone films that, when viewed together as a series, offered a connected and powerful narrative. With exclusive access to both OP INTERFLEX and OP INTERSTORM, the highly guarded fast-jet lead in training for Ukrainian f-16 pilots, our embedded video producer was able to get to the heart of the story. Each film took the viewer on a journey—from the heart of the MOD’s decision-making process to British-made equipment and British-trained personnel fighting on the front lines in Ukraine. Using fly-on-the-wall, observational techniques allowed us to take audiences beyond the surface and understand how UK Defence and allied partners work together to support Ukrainian troops. Viewers gained a deeper understanding of the UK’s role, not through statistics or official statements, but through the lived experiences of those directly involved.
Quote from Lead Video Producer on the project, Joe Cowen:
"The viewer is simply offered a window to watch the action unfold and tap into the thoughts of the instructors and trainees, and this ‘show, don’t tell’ approach is entirely at odds with Russian government communications and affords the films a high level of credibility and honesty.
What you film is what you have to work with, and the real challenge is to piece it together in a way that not only makes sense to a non-military audience but also keeps the viewer engaged throughout."
The series can be found here:
Episode 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlMyPFVdMDA
Episode 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vd9GV-fFHV0
Episode 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRfFrlPsWT0
In total, the 1 hour and 36 minutes of storytelling content has been viewed just shy of 1,000,000 times and gained BFBS Creative a shortlisting at the 2024 Third Sector Awards for Communications Agency of the Year.
Maintaining Momentum To Keep Audiences Engaged
Recognising the power of storytelling to humanise and amplify these narratives, BFBS Creative was tasked with producing a video series as part of the MOD’s cross-government campaign for the 1000 Days of War milestone. Drawing inspiration from BFBS Creative’s acclaimed Near Death podcast, this series aims to present raw, authentic stories that highlight the enduring strength of the Ukrainian people while resonating deeply with UK audiences.
Each episode focuses on unfiltered human experiences, from refugee volunteers supporting the war effort to civilian digital campaigners and even a headteacher from a UK based school for displaced Ukrainian children.
Through its storytelling, the series does more than inform—it aims to foster empathy and inspire action. By centering the lived experiences of Ukrainian individuals, these stories connect UK audiences with the resilience of Ukraine in a way that no statistic or report could achieve.
As a live campaign, we are still working on this series with more stories to be released. You can watch the current episodes here:
The Linguist: The Linguist: Our 1000 days of War - YouTube
The Soldier: War in Ukraine: Ukrainian Soldier Turned Instructor - YouTube
Why This Storytelling Approach is Powerful
The power of this storytelling approach lies in its ability to humanise the UK’s support for Ukraine. It’s about solidarity, resilience, and the shared belief in defending freedom. This approach makes the UK’s support feel more personal and immediate, providing UK audiences with a powerful emotional connection to the efforts being made, not only in the broader geopolitical context but in the everyday lives of the people on the front lines.
“Transparency is what sets us apart from our adversaries” – Dan Harrison, Senior Strategist BFBS Creative
Summary
The right stories make these efforts feel personal and immediate, providing UK audiences with a powerful emotional connection to the people on the front lines. Storytelling goes beyond just serving immediate needs—it helps to build long-term resilience in your communications. It creates narratives that audiences can return to, relate to, and emotionally invest in over time. This approach allows communications to remain relevant, adaptive, and impactful, even in the face of ongoing crises or complex, evolving situations.
Storytelling is about knowing which stories to tell and when to tell them to make people care.
At BFBS Creative, we understand the transformative power of storytelling, especially when navigating tough challenges. Whether you’re navigating a crisis, launching a campaign, or looking to connect with your audience on a deeper level, storytelling is a tool that can elevate your message and drive meaningful engagement.
Contact us today to start building your story.