This morning, a friend sent me the following commercial saying how much she loved it. I watched it and the use of emotion was raw and overwhelming. It had all the boxes checked: casting, music, production, storytelling and continually drew me in more and more. As I consumed it, I kept asking myself, who could possibly be behind this? Harley Davidson - "Ride free"? Life insurance - "live life"? When I got to the end and the curtains raised, it was... a bank. A bank?? "For people with Extraordinary Dreams," was the shallow connection they forced into the idea to try and own the emotion they created. And worse, can a bank ever own a dying man's final wish or a widow's deep sorrowful loss? My reaction was the opposite of what they were trying to accomplish... it pissed me off. I felt used. Another spot immediately came to mind that conjured the same feelings I had just experienced. After some searching, I found it and here it is. See what I mean? The connection was weak and a telecom can't and shouldn't own that kind of message.
My point is, "raw human emotion" can be one of the most powerful and compelling ways to create a meaningful connection between a brand and a consumer. This kind of emotion can personify a brand and let a consumer share together a truth or an insight. A shared experience between a brand and a consumer can be powerful. However, be very careful of that fine line. People aren't stupid and we certainly don't appreciate being "used" by a company if you uncork that kind of emotion. You better be able to demonstrate a connection to the brand and it better fit with the industry. Here’s a spot I saw years ago. So emotional, I couldn't fully watch it again. When the commercial finished taking me for a ride and I got to the end, happily the connection was there and even though a telecom company was behind it, it felt right appropriate that it came from them. What do you think? Ever felt used before? Ever share an emotion with a company before?
