I’ve honestly never really been one to notice great advertising or marketing campaigns, unless I feel that they personally speak to me. Sure, there are Super Bowl commercials every year that companies spend millions on, and those are supposed to be the best advertising we ever see. There are people who watch the Super Bowl specifically for the ads, and websites where you can vote on the best one afterwards. However, lately I’ve noticed two ad campaigns in particular that really stuck out to me. Why? Because they appealed so perfectly to what makes us feel. I didn’t want to turn off the TV because I was actually inspired by how humanized these companies made their brand, and, as a result, their product wowed me.
In a book I’ve been reading for my Social Media class, Platform, by Michael Hyatt, he discussed something called the “wow factor.” The “wow factor” basically means having a “wow” product, something that impresses, and presenting it in a way that makes people feel like they need it because it “wows” them. In the recent ad campaigns I’ve seen by Special K and Glade, I was totally wowed. If there were a guide on how to “wow,” these two companies should have a say on how to do it.
I’ve used both Glade and Special K products before, but only sporadically. I’m not a frequent customer, and I previously didn’t follow them on any social media. Recently, however, I saw their commercials on TV. If you’re a woman and you haven’t seen the Special K commercial, watch it right now. It features women in a store shopping for jeans, however, the outside of the store advertises a different denim shopping experience. The women notice that there are no sizes on the jeans, and shop assistants measure them and tell them that they wear sizes like “radiant,” “strong,” and “confident.” These women feel beautiful and excited in their new jeans because they have no number associated with them. This ad is then connected to a larger campaign, “#morethananumber,” that Special K is running on their Facebook page, which I was prompted to look at after seeing the commercial.
As a woman, I can relate to this campaign. Sure, they aren’t advertising jeans, but there’s a lot to be said about a food company that sells products aimed at weight loss that still encourages women to be proud of themselves, no matter what size or shape they are. The primary goal is no longer just losing weight, but feeling good in the skin you’re in, and that’s really what everyone wants for themselves.
Similarly, Glade evokes feeling in their latest commercial by advertising feelings and their impact on people, as opposed to just the latest scent they’re offering. The commercial shows real human emotion and feeling, and it does bring to mind all the emotions that smell can trigger. I think I felt most moved by it because I couldn’t help thinking about all the times smell has triggered memories, and I loved the way that emotion was presented. These things then led me to like the page and see the #bestfeelings campaign that they are running on their Facebook page. Every picture and discussion with that hashtag connects feeling with emotion, and I love it.
Both of these companies made me feel personally spoken to in a human way. I immediately wanted to learn more and share the experience that I had with these commercials, so I liked the pages online and told other people about the ad I watched. By impacting me, those commercials impacted ten people, simply because I felt strongly enough to talk about them. This is good advertising.
What I think is forgotten in a lot of ad campaigns is the fact that the company is trying to appeal to other human beings in order to get a monetary response. In order to do this, people should be prompted towards discussion. Make your audience feel, really feel, so strongly that they’ll want to talk about it, and your brand will see impressive results. Giving facts and figures showing percentages and hard dollar amounts that will be saved can be effective sometimes, but doesn’t create a lasting impression of the company.
To all companies wanting to be heard and admired: Speak in order to be listened to. Reach out with the intention of touching. Show passion, so as to move many.
The Transition Artist 