Commercials and print ads are very interesting because each one takes a different approach to conveying (selling) to their target audience. A television ad that I find particularly interesting is for vehicles. The reason vehicle ads are interesting is that they need to play into you long term emotions because it is not the type of item where you will see the commercial and immediately go out to buy a vehicle. The goal of the automobile companies advertising is to get you to have a bias towards their brand when you are ready to buy a new vehicle.
There is one particular ad that plays well into the emotions of people. The ad is by Chevrolet and it is a part of the marketing series
"Chevy Runs Deep"
The ad starts by showing a guy bringing his old Chevy truck into the repair shop. The mechanic then tells him that it is going to cost a lot to fix it so he would be better off just getting a new one. He goes into the truck to clean out his stuff and he finds a picture of himself as a kid standing next the the truck with his Dad. He goes back to the mechanic and tells him that he wants it fixed no matter how much it costs.
View the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxCpdU3qGi8
This ad needs to be watched in order to understand the emotion that it provokes. The ad portrays that the brand is more than a vehicle; it is a way of life.
Can you think of any ads that evoke emotion in you?
Wow, this ad hits home for me. I feel the same emotions that the guy in the commercial felt due to my similar personal experiences. Back home my family still has an older Chevy truck that my dad used to drive, and it hold deep sentimental value to me. I honestly do not want to get rid of it...ever. But unfortunately, it too is getting to that point where it will cost too much to fix it up than it is worth.
When I think about emotional ads, the first thing that pops into my mind are those commercials for abused animals featuring Sarah McLachlan. I can't stand those commercials and find them way too depressing.
On a lighter note, this is one of my favorite ads. It ran during the Superbowl a couple of years ago. It's simple but powerful and packs a lot of emotion in under a minute.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnsSUqgkDwU
I too have a Chevy truck at home and would not want to give it up for most anything. I remembered seeing the commercial as well and thinking "wow, that was a very effective ad". It really appeals to the emotions and surprised me.
I think that with so many advertisements on videos we watch online, billboards, commercials, etc. It's a lot more difficult for people to have emotional reactions to many advertisements. The Chevy commercial was effective, but it's hard for me to remember many ads that I've though are very effective, I've began to not really pay attention to them anymore.