The content at 66˚North should always build from the interesting people, places, activities, and causes that come from Iceland. While that is specific, it is also quite flexible. An American or Japanese artist may come to Iceland, an Icelandic scientist may be working in Greenland, someone living a creative life connected to nature may identify with the Icelandic Art of Living.
These frameworks are intended as a guide, not a paint-by-numbers mandate on how things must be produced. Writers, photographers, and freelancers for 66˚North should bend these frameworks to the purposes of the story when the story or character demands a different structure or representation.
There are a handful of key content types 66˚North uses to bring its brand to life, the Icelandic Art of Living, and the colorful characters in its orbit. These are:
While there are slight differences to all these stories and a variety of frameworks suitable to each, there are certain elements that any writer or photographer should aim to gather as part of 66˚North storytelling. All of these details will allow us to create richer content, package the content we are creating into more formats for other uses, educate our customers, and discover the kinds of interesting details that make a story come alive.
A compelling headline, secondary header, and first two sentences. People are busy, overwhelmed with content from all directions, and want to know what they are clicking to open before they do so. The headline and the secondary headline (also known as a dek or a description) are the only things the reader will see before clicking on the email, homepage tile, or following the social media link. While we do not want to be cynical and “click bait” driven, the headline and secondary header need to describe exactly what the story is and why it is interesting/uniquely 66˚North. Before the writer starts any story or starts lining up talent, photographers, or locations, this headline and secondary header should be written, edited, and perfected. As it comes to the first two sentences of the story, we should assume that the reader may only read the headline, secondary header, and the first two sentences before scrolling through the images. Spend an outsized amount of time on these elements, and make sure that from these elements the reader can understand…
What contrast or paradox is on display? Each story should have a theme which, through its unexpected contrast or paradox, communicates a sense of wonder and mystique about the Icelandic Art of Living. Whether in the form of a clear contrast, a þetta reddast element, or something particularly zany within Icelandic life, this theme should appear early in the story and let the reader know she or he is entering a topsy-turvy world.
Three looks. For any story, whether a How to Wear, a Cause, or a Journey, there should be at least three independent looks—whether on the same person or different people. Clothing, its varieties of necessity, and usage, are our primary storytelling medium. These different looks can then be repackaged individually on social media, relevant pages dedicated to specific activities, places, or product franchises.
What are their layers? Either through description or photography, demonstrate the layering. This will help to create more sales opportunities (as more products will be tagged), but more importantly, it will tell the story of the look and express how each 66˚North product is part of endless modular systems that can be adapted to any conditions. More importantly, find out why certain mid or base layers are being used. Why is someone using Hrannar Alpha vs Mosfell for a mid-layer in these conditions? This is a way to educate our customer with respect: We assume they understand layering as a concept, but we also can show off how the nuances work together.
What is in their bag? Don’t take pictures of their wallet and keys, but find out what other 66˚North gear is in their bag, or would be if we are fully styling them. Again, find out why. Why do they have a Vatnajökull vest, a fleece, or heavier duty gloves in their bag? What are they preparing for? It will tell us how a product transitions (or requires support) between environments, conditions, and activities.
What is the most dramatic weather-related story they’ve experienced that informs their decisions on 2 and 3? Ideally, this story would relate directly to whatever the subject is doing or where he or she is, so that it makes the most sense. Not all participants will be writers themselves, but the more details we can get (“snow appeared out of nowhere even though it was August and the wind blew it in three directions at once,” versus “it was snowing”), the more it will light up our readers’ imagination. This should be a true story, but it doesn’t hurt if it feels a bit like a “tall tale.”
Where is this story taking place? Make sure that we provide information on where this story takes place and how you would get there. Each story should provide a map and a line or two on how—and how long—it would take to get there from either Reykjavik, or a place with an airport.
“How to Dress” – A story told through clothes, generally light on text. The core of the story is three-to-five looks that communicate a theme. So if this were a ski story, the first look might be “sub-zero skiing,” the second might be “spring skiing,” the third might be “skiing with snow and wind,” and the fourth might be “après skiing,” along with our character shown recommending what to wear in each instance.
If there is a narrative structure to the story, such as cold-weather-cycle-commuting, the order of the looks should be beginning (setting out), middle (layering up/down), end (arriving at the office), otherwise the order should follow the editor’s discretion.
Adding a second character or third character can be another way to introduce looks. To the greatest extent possible, the differences of what the other character is wearing while doing the same activity should not be arbitrary. For instance, if two people are cycling and one is wearing Vatnajökull and the other is in Snæfell, there should be some reason/detail related to the clothes and conditions, which helps educate. For example: “Helgi rides along the beaches to work where there’s more wind and Vatnajökull cuts that,” versus, “Aldis rides over hills to work and wants more breathability.”
Notes: If this were about how to dress to be an Arctic banana farmer, it might begin, “As everyone knows, Iceland is one of the world’s leading banana-farming nations. When you are a small nation with unlimited yet contained volcanic power, why not grow lots of tropical fruit?”
“The journey” can be a story that works well for a literal journey (e.g., going from place A to places B, C, D, E, etc.), or it can be a format that works well for telling the progression of a place, institution, or cause, such as how a scientist solves a problem or the path of the activist artist. This story must be told in chronological order or else it will confuse the reader.
Notes: You can get lost in the “why” of the journey and the character and his or her quest. Going deeper into these questions will be the subject of the story. In the opening paragraph you are setting up these aspects with tight, stripped-to-its-necessity information, “showing” not “telling” by using one or two great details.
“The profile” is a brief story highlighting a cause through a person. Through how this person lives his or her life, and their insights, we can tell the story of our brand and/or a related cause.