The (Zombie) Hero's Journey

You've seen it in superhero movies. You read it in high school English class. Google it and you'll find 18 different flowcharts trying to explain it. It's the Hero's Journey -- and I've used some version of it in ad copy for over 40 years, because it still works better than almost anything else in the toolbox.

It's…(drumroll please)…the Hero's Journey!

"But Meaghan (I hear you wondering through the screen and the mysterious nature of the time-space continuum). Why do I care about this?!"

Because I've written somewhere north of 100,000 ads at this point, and the ones that actually moved product -- not just won creative awards -- almost always had this shape underneath them. The Hero's Journey isn't a literary curiosity. It's a FANTASTIC tool for marketers who need someone to buy something before the budget runs out.

Want to tell a compelling client success story? HERO'S JOURNEY for the win! This framework works because it forces you to include every element a persuasive story needs -- stakes, doubt, a guide, a turning point. It's been closing the sale for thousands of years, and it'll outlive whatever headline trend is popular this quarter.

Because we don't want to hurt your BRAINZZZ (they don't taste great bruised), we've got a nice, simplified version that we like to call the Zombie Hero's Journey.

The Zombie Hero's Journey (Simplified)

The first thing that happens is that the hero has a call to adventure.

They are called to do something outside their comfort zone.

And they're like, "No, no, no, I've seen this before. I'm not comfortable doing that I don't have those skills."

So, the (future) hero refuses the call. There are a variety of reasons that you might refuse the call, but essentially the hero's like, "ehhhh, I don't think that's for me."

Then…a mentor appears! (In this case, the mentor is probably you, your product/service/company.) At this point in the story, you start to see the possibility. With some guidance, there's now a reason to give the new thing a try.

And so, the quest begins. Along the way, the hero will try things and fail. (They're not great at being a hero yet, after all.)

Then, they find new allies. This is sometimes also referred to as the "Call of the Goddess." At this point the hero is finding new friends, allies, maybe a community that will help lift them up and emotionally power them toward the finish line.

But then…uh-oh, here it comes…the temptation to stray. If they're on a health journey, maybe the delicious fresh churros at Disneyland were just too appealing and there was a bit of a setback.

And after all of this drama, the hero will confront their doubts & fears. They'll be able to say (in the inimitable words of SNL's Stuart Smalley) "I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and doggone it, people like me." Or something like that.

Once the hero has the tools, the team, and the belief, they understand their purpose & skill. They know they are capable and that they have changed.

Finally, they achieve their goal!

But we're not done yet, folks. Because while the goal is achieved, the zombie's journey has not yet ended.

The hero must become the master of two worlds: the one where they started and then one they've grown into. They integrate the new beliefs, skills, and accomplishments into their previous life.

Once they've done that, they now have the freedom to live.

Here's What It Looks Like In Action

This is a very linear storytelling method -- here's how I'd actually map a real client testimonial to it

• Jane was drowning in spreadsheets, running her bookkeeping business solo and turning down clients because she couldn't keep up.
• She heard about a scheduling & automation tool but figured it was "for bigger companies than mine."
• She finally said "yes" after a free trial removed the risk of trying it.
• Lots happens: she fumbles the setup, loses a weekend to onboarding, almost quits -- then it clicks.
• She builds up a team, because now she has the bandwidth to actually hire.
• She starts to believe she's not just "a bookkeeper" but someone running a real, scalable business.
• She hits her goal: six figures, a real team, weekends back.
• She goes back to the beginning -- the same industry, the same clients -- but as her new self, running things a totally different way.

That's the whole ad, right there. Every testimonial-style spot I've written that actually converted follows that spine, whether it's a $40 supplement or a six-figure B2B tool. The framework does the heavy lifting; you just need a headline strong enough to earn the first three seconds of attention -- and that's a craft in itself, which is why your headline is doing 80% of the work.

Now Go Spot It Everywhere

Now that you've seen it, you'll spot this framework EVERYWHERE.

For marketing stories, you may not need every element in the journey (after all, they build whole blockbuster movies and seasons of shows with this framework) but it may help you find the emotional components those stories were previously missing. It's the same instinct that separates a headline that just sits there from one that actually filters and hooks the right reader -- you're always looking for the emotional turn, not just the information.

Want to learn how to use this framework to tell Compelling & Compliant Weight Loss Stories for Facebook? We've got a course for that!