What makes an ad have the power to move someone to action? A great ad is able to go past the surface level of selling a "product" and hit the audience where they feel it most - the heart strings.
More and more companies are realizing the benefits of having human-centered advertising strategies . We are seeing a strong presence of campaigns that evoke feeling and emotion, but are also careful not to shove their product in your face. They take the subtle approach of developing warm feelings first towards the brand and then make the connection to the products on your own.
The benefits of these types of campaigns have been overwhelming. It results in higher engagement, shares, and word of mouth .
We pulled some of our favorite ad campaigns that evoke emotion to share with you as inspiration for your next campaign. Note how each one makes you feel - especially towards the brand.
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This was one of the first examples I can remember seeing where the brand used their product to hit on people's emotions. They identified an existing problem and created a solution that they could be tied to.
Product Placement: Coca-Cola vending machine and free Coca-Cola bottles
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Valspar really hit home with this one by focusing on what they do best: color. Naturally, when I watched this for the first time, I teared up.
hashtag (#ColorForAll) followed by smaller logo underneat
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Another tear-jerker, Gillette took advantage of the father-son relationship and proved that while we exist in a fast-paced technology-based lifestyle, human-to-human interaction still yields the best results.
Product Placement: Actual product shown when Father and Son are shaving together
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The Ad Council successfully launched a viral video and got 58 millions views. How did they do it? They chose a controversial topic and were able to find a common denominator between all races and genders. How could you not fall in love with this organization??
Product Placement: Subtle logo placement on the screen in the left hand corner
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Dove did an excellent job taking the focus off of their sales and showcasing what they stand for as a company. They wanted to make women feel beautiful. They were able to take common insecurities and debunk them by showing each woman how their perception of themselves is not what other’s see.
Product Placement: Logo at the end of the video
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I'm sure you remember this one. This video quickly went viral, spreading across the Internet like wildfire. The entire campaign is focused on empowering women, especially at a young age. What better way to encourage and support the next generation of girls?
Product Placement: CTA followed by the logo at the end of the video
After watching those, I don’t think I need to convince you that video has a powerful effect on any audience. Add on top of that, that in these examples the video is connecting to people - real humans - with what they value and care about in life. These brands are tying themselves to a greater cause outside of what they are selling. This ideas proves time and time again to be one of the best ways to build loyalty as a brand.
What ad campaigns have you seen that you fell in love with?