Emotional Marketing
Our Top 5 Emotional Marketing & Advertising Campaigns of 2013
Having worked in the television industry for 17 or so years, one may gain an affinity towards certain aspects of the industry. For me, it was always the commercials... and not just during the Super Bowl. I was always intrigued by the concepts... and I'm talking ALL TYPES of commercials: the creative, the humorous, the sexy, the direct sell, and more often than not, the emotional.
Emotional Marketing is used to create a bond between a brand and a consumer by engaging an emotional response in the consumer for the brand... in which the brand is hoping to fulfill a specific need. Storylines, symbolism and imagery, cinematography, music integration, product placement, etc., need to all work together to produce the desired emotional response from the consumer. Elicited responses can range from love, joy, security, elation, reassurance, gratification, and empowerment, to name a few.
Emotional Marketing also creates a personality for the brand, in which the consumer will recognize and gravitate towards, further developing the bond between the brand and the consumer. Developing a personality for the brand is critical in emotional branding... and it is established over time.
There have been some amazing emotional marketing & advertising campaigns over the past year, and I've managed to compile my top 5 for the year. Hang onto your seat... and bring a box of Kleenex!
#5. Johnson & Johnson - " For All You Love"
Love is the most powerful thing on the planet. What says "love" more than a beautiful, smiling baby/child? Soft, black and white imagery with subtle product placement, with the retooling of the popular Guns N' Roses "Sweet Child Of Mine" from the late 80's as an angelic lullabye, all combine to restore trust in the Johnson & Johnson brand. Powerful, emotion-provoking piece.
#4. Guinness - "Wheelchair Basketball"
The choices we make reveal the true nature of our character. How powerful that statement is... as well as this commercial. I was absolutely speechless when I saw this for the first time. The first half of this spot just sucks you in, completely unaware of what the commercial is for. The rhythmic build of the music (The Cinematic Orchestra "To Build a Home") works beautifully with the intensity of the game, and the strong message of the voice-over, connecting friendship and character with the Guinness brand. The end frame reveals the tagline "Made of More". Did this provoke the question of "am I made of more (character)" when you viewed this? Kudos to Guinness for such an incredibly powerful ad with an equally powerful message.
#3. Purina Pro Plan - "Inside Every Good Dog is a Great Dog"
Inside every good dog is a great dog... and how can you not respond emotionally after seeing these dogs! All dog owners/lovers know the power of the pooch on our emotions. Unleash the greatness in your dog by feeding him/her Purina Pro Plan. The music for this spot was written and performed by Tony Rogers, the SVP/Creative Director of Arc Worldwide/Leo Burnett.
#2. Sealy Posturepedic - "Life Before Your Eyes"
Incredibly clever concept of one family's milestones through the "eyes" of a mattress. Beautifully filmed, edited and produced with an original music score... the images tell the story without the need of voiceover. Great emotional connection with the viewer as we all can relate to the special moments in everyday life. An equally clever tagline of "Whatever you do in bed, Sealy supports it".
#1. Budweiser - "Brotherhood"
By far one of the best Super Bowl Ads from 2013, Budweiser does it again with their Clydesdales. The storyline of the connection between the trainer and his horse parallels that emotional bond between parent and child. Since this spot was about raising a Budweiser Clydesdale, product placement was weaved into the story seamlessly (Budweiser truck, Budweiser bottle and newspaper article). "Landslide" by Stevie Nicks/Fleetwood Mac is expressively edited to provide added emotional intensity.
So what are your thoughts?
