Video ads, commercials, brand films… we are bombarded daily on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and TV with content that’s meant to inform, sell or educate us. But in the ocean of advertisements, only a chosen few really stand out from the crowd and cut through the white noise. Why? Well, let’s look at a few of our favorite advertisements and briefly dissect them to see why they worked.
AD 1 - Samsung “Love Hurts” The Spider.
This love story sets itself apart for a few reasons:
Whether we like it or not, love between 2 humans can oftentimes lose its luster and personality. With rom coms, social campaigns, influencers, and not to mention reality TV - relationship content often loses the ability to cut through and grab our attention as effectively as it used to. So taking a less traditional route to achieve the same effect, was the goal here with Samsung.
This spot executes the Inciting Incident, Climax and Resolution brilliantly.
Spider falls in love.
Love is taken away.
Reunited and physically together at last.
Samsung took a great risk. Oftentimes it can be easy for us as creators (and brands) to play it safe. And in addition to this, it’s very easy to see a spot like this in hindsight and say, “yeah that was genius”. But Imagine being in the creative room during this pitch, and the guy in the corner seat raises his hand and brings this idea to the table. It must have sounded ridiculous. I can hear it now… “Hey what if a pet tarantula falls in love with the phone because the camera lens looks like a set of tarantula eyes.” (crickets)
I love that someone had the guts to bring this idea to life.
So how can we start to think differently and put ourselves into the shoes of our intended audience?
What haven’t they seen before?
How can we set ourselves apart?
What risk can we take that will pay off in the end?
Don’t be afraid to be intentional about cutting through the noise and delivering something the audience can remember and take action.
AD 2 - Apple “911”
This spot takes a little different of a direction and uniquely brings real life situations into the brand vision.
We’ve been bombarded with Apple spots for decades now, and know what the iphone or Apple watch can do. New camera, new iOS, new features blah blah blah. Again, it becomes white noise.
Someone came to the table and said, “how can we take our products from a WANT to a NEED in a very relatable way?” And they did just that.
Watching this spot, it does the job of making you believe that you can’t afford to be in an emergency situation and not have a way to contact someone. Forget the compatibility, new imessage features or sleek design… What if myself or my family member is ever stuck in the middle of nowhere or home alone and has no way to contact us?? Enter the Apple Watch. For those moments when you might not have access to your iphone or are stranded with no other way to contact someone. The electronic that’s attached to your wrist might just save your life.
So how can we utilize this style of advertising for brands that aren’t on the same level as Apple? By making it relatable. Finding something in your brand that moves you from a WANT to a NEED. Whether it’s clothing, cosmetics, vehicles, electronics, food… finding something in your brand that places it in a category with intentional messaging aimed at the consumer (or B2B) in which we convince them they can’t live without it.
AD 3 - Google Year In Search 2021
I know I know. We are all tired of pandemic commercials. But let’s pretend it’s December of 2021 again. The first full year of things getting back to “normal”. Go there with me for just a moment and watch this spot.
Obviously they are the world's largest search engine, but Google cleverly leveraged their number 1 selling point and made that relatable to the masses on an emotional level. From nurses to traveling. Sports to awards shows. Comedy venues to concert venues. Google quickly reminded us what we came through, and the possibilities of what’s next for a better tomorrow.
And used their search engine as a through line to tell that story. And they told it brilliantly.
Side note - What’s interesting to me is that we STILL see spots using at-home interviews from a smartphone or laptop video recording. Why does that work so well?? It’s not esthetically pleasing and sounds ametuer.
Well, for decades we’ve filmed these beautiful commercials where we see interview settings that are lit wonderfully, slow motion B-roll of a couple walking through a field, or a grandfather and grandson fishing during sunrise at glorious lake for a medical spot… It’s cool and (as a filmmaker) I’m all for it - but sometimes real and authentic cuts deeper than beautiful and surreal. Google recognized this, and played into it.
So when we look back at some of the most profound spots in recent years, a majority of the ones we love - took the greatest risks. And asked WHY first, before anything else.
It takes one idea, executed correctly, to stop people in their tracks and say “wow - that was clever” or “man, that was different”. And the goal of any great ad is to get people to move on that call to action. Not just be “wowed” by the ad itself and share to their 100 friends on Facebook.
There’s really something to be said for a successful creative risk that packs a million dollar punch. The trick is to always ask the WHY, to determine what risk is worth taking.
So how can your brand take steps toward executing this style of advertising?
How can you set yourself apart?
You can start by asking the WHY before the HOW.
And take that creative risk that aligns with your brand goals to hit the audience right in the gut.
I don’t care if your a small business selling clothes, a University looking to increase enrollment, a social media brand striving to grow your reach, or a local car dealership looking to stand out in the tri-state area.
The moment you choose to rise above the noise and stand out in a sea of average advertisements - your site traffic, sales and brand awareness WILL increase in a positive way.
Want us to help you create your next powerful video campaign? Reach out to us! Let us help your brand stand out and achieve your advertising goals.