An attorney once told me, “You better get it in writing in case one of you guys gets run over by a beer truck tomorrow, just so your heirs know what the deal is.”

Well, I almost got run over by a Staples truck yesterday. And then a funny thing happened.

This is not the actual Staple's truck that almost clobbered me yesterday. It's added here for visual impact.

I was walking from our agency to the UPS store carrying Christmas gifts like chord wood destined for Seattle. All of a sudden, this large Staples truck comes nearly careening around the corner and onto the parking lot access road I was just stepping into. I heard him before I saw him and stopped in my wing tipped tracks. The clean cut driver deftly pumped his breaks. The bright, shiny delivery truck hissed to a stop. With an apologetic smile, he waved me across the street.

But the funny thing is, as soon as I looked up and saw the Staples’ logo on the clean truck with the handsome driver, I knew he wasn’t going to run me down. There was a very basal emotion of calm that rose inside me, and it was directly associated with their brand.

Where do you think that calm came from?

From their advertising campaign, and the easy shopping experiences I’ve enjoyed in their stores. Like the ad guy I am, I immediately appreciated the power of the brand, even as it almost clobbered me outside my own agency.

Then I asked myself, “Would I have reacted the same way if it were just a big ‘ol nondescript white van, a  Shucks Autoparts truck, or a delivery guy for Schlitz Beer?” Probably not. I instinctively knew everything was cool, even as I stood in the cross hairs of the Staples van’s hood ornament. Kind of creepy stuff.

I guess their brand pushed my “Easy Button.” Does yours?

• Powerful brands always deliver on their promises
• Powerful brands should resonate even outside of their comfort zones
• Powerful brands can ask for forgiveness and get it
• Powerful brands make life comfortable
• Powerful brands care

What’s your brand story?