The genius of South Parks Founders But & Therefore Rule

Picture this imagined scene: It’s 2012, and you’re sitting in the boardroom at Obsidian Entertainment, the developers behind South Park: The Stick of Truth. You have your first concept meeting for this title, coming in 2014. Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the creators of South Park, are walking the team through their unique approach to storytelling.

Their secret? The But & Therefore Rule. Instead of stringing events together with “and then,” they demand every plot point be connected by “but” or “therefore.” This forces the story into a sequence of conflicts and resolutions, creating a narrative that feels dynamic and compelling.

This storytelling rule is so powerful that it helped the game become not just a hit with South Park fans, but - for me - a marketing lesson in how to engage audiences with tension and resolution.

So how does this work for our marketing?

The Marketing Connection

Your audience doesn’t just want information—they want a story. Conflict and resolution keep them hooked. When applied to your campaigns, the But & Therefore Rule makes your messaging more memorable and persuasive.

Here’s how it works:

Start With a Hook (Introduce Your Hero Product) Set the stage by introducing a relatable challenge your customer is facing. For example: “Running ads is easy, but turning clicks into sales feels impossible.”

Add the Conflict (The ‘But’) Introduce a twist that shows why the problem exists: “You might think it’s your product, but it’s actually your landing page that’s losing leads.”

Resolve With a Solution (The ‘Therefore’) Position your product or service as the answer to their challenge: “Therefore, optimizing your CTA and page layout could double your conversions overnight.”

Gaming Meets Marketing

Let’s tie it back to the gaming world. Remember how The Stick of Truth was marketed? The conflict was clear: “How do you create an immersive RPG that still feels like an episode of South Park?” The resolution? A perfect blend of Parker and Stone’s storytelling genius with game mechanics that supported it. Raising conflicts through quests that then escalated into even crazier quests and raised the stakes gradually.

Your campaigns can follow the same pattern. Create a narrative arc that presents a problem, heightens the stakes, and positions your product as the resolution.

To think this in terms of a product campaign.

Introduce Conflict: Start by highlighting the pain points your audience cares about.

Raise the Stakes: Use the “but” to show what’s holding them back or why the problem persists.

Deliver a Resolution: Use the “therefore” to position your product or service as the solution.

Takeaways

When you inject storytelling into your marketing, you’re not just selling—you’re creating an experience. And like Parker and Stone taught us, every great story thrives on conflict and resolution. With the But & Therefore rule you help your creative juices going into the right direction for a great campaign.

What’s your next campaign’s ‘But’ moment? Reply and let’s brainstorm!