Ok, if this is going to work, I need your help.
You ready? I need you to follow my instructions exactly. You're doing just fine so far. Just keep on reading until I tell you to do something else. Look back at the title for a second - yep, there you go. That's what we're talking about today. To start, we need some source material. Take one minute, and watch this ad:
Did you watch it? Or are you one of those people who just scrolled past.
Please tell me you did, because this won't work if you don't watch the ad. Don't keep reading until you do.
Ok, thank you. Now we can keep going.
What does Extra Gum have to do with anything?
That's a good question. Now, I could have chosen many different ads from many different brands, but I chose this one for a reason. The reason will be clear in a second. But first, I want you to think about a couple of questions:
How did you feel as you watched the ad?
Why did you feel that way?
Why does that matter?
Emotions
If you're like me, you probably felt something as you watched the ad. The love the Dad had for his daughter, the strength of their bond, the power of the relationship, and how much they needed each other. Why did you feel that? Because that is what the ad tried to portray. Using videos and music (there was no dialogue), they helped us feel an emotional connection. And they did a pretty good job with just a minute of our time. And why does that matter?
Because emotional ads create emotional connections to brands.
Emotional Connections
Emotional appeals make some of the most powerful ads, and they are quite common. They've been around for a while too, meaning they are battle-tested - they go back to at least 2002 that is. Why 2002? Well you'll have to watch another ad to find out...
The Lamp
Ok, did you watch it? I sure hope so, because if not, what I'm about to say won't make sense.
If you didn't hear, the man who walks in at the end says, "Many of you feel bad for this lamp. That is because you're crazy. It has no feelings! And the new one is much better."
Once again in this ad, you feel something. You feel bad for the lamp, because it's out in the cold, left behind, and forgotten. And even though the man says you're crazy, I don't think you are. And neither does Youtube.
Youtube Comments
Reading through the comments, I found strong advocates for the lamp. Everything from, "It's 2021 and I still cry about this lamp" and "I will take the lamp please and will give it a good warm home! It didn't deserve an ending like that!"
And then an interesting comment:
"Glad this got a sequel"
And after just a bit more digging, I found this.
The Sequel
Now how do you feel about the lamp?
This happy ending was all we could ever dream of. And once again, it illustrates the power of an emotional appeal. We see the love and care that the little girl provides for the lamp and it affects us. And as the same man says at the end, "Many of you feel happy for this lamp. That's not crazy, reusing things is much better"
So, to recap, advertisements can help us feel something. Even if it's supposedly irrational, or even "crazy." And those feelings can connect us to a brand or product.
But what other implications does this have and what more can we learn? To continue the conversation, let's turn to something that has no emotions at all.
ChatGPT
My first question for ChatGPT was simple: "What makes a good ad?"
And not surprisingly, one of the items on its 15-point list was an emotional appeal.
So I then asked ChatGPT to tell me more about emotional appeals in advertising.
And of course, it had a lot more to say.
I'll spare you from having to read it all, but here are some things it highlighted:
Narrative and Storytelling: By using a relatable narrative, the ad elicits empathy.
Problem-Solution Approach: The ad can show how the product can solve real-life problems, thus triggering emotions of relief.
Aspirational Messaging: By using an aspirational theme or idea, the ad can help us feel inspired.
Those are just three examples, but I bet you can relate with each one, and even think of ads that portray each one. In the Extra Gum ad, as well as the lamp ads, storytelling is the main element. Other ads often portray the aspirational messaging idea of becoming something more.
This all makes sense, but I still wonder, Why are these ads effective?
Why are emotional appeals in advertising effective?
ChatGPT's response was comprehensive, as expected. The reasons for effectiveness included:
Human Connection
The Memory of the Ad
Influence on Decision-Making
We already talked about the human connection that you feel as you watch the Extra Gum Ad.
But the memory is a little more interesting. To explore that, here's a mini example.
Scents and Memories
Ok, I'm going to need your help on this one again. I need you to think back to a specific time in your life - and a specific place. A place where you have a lot of memories. For me, it'd be a place like my grandma's house, or the house I used to live in. Most likely, this place or time in your life feels far away, or distant.
But something magical happens when you smell something that reminds you of that place. Instantly, you are brought back to those moments and you can feel what you felt there.
This happened to me on my mission. I was washing my hands in my apartment, and I had switched to a new soap that I hadn't used recently. As I smelled the scent, immediately I was flooded with memories and feelings of my first few months in the field.
Why? Because that was the same soap I had used at the old apartment.
But why all this talk about scents and memories?
Because emotional appeals in advertising are like the soap I smelled. They connect us to special moments in unforgettable ways.
And if we feel connected to something, we're more likely to make time for it or even spend money on it.
Decision-making process
Which brings us to the decision-making process. As you can see in the image above, there are many factors that influence our decisions.
But to simplify this, let me ask you this: When you make a decision, what influences you more?
How you think?
Or how you feel?
When making difficult decisions, we may weigh out pros and cons that have to do with how we feel. We may even flip a coin to try to make an especially difficult decision.
And I once heard someone say, "Flip a coin and see what you get, and if you don't like it, you know what you really want."
Now obviously both sides, thinking and feeling are essential. But for me, the way I feel about something often has a greater impact on my final decision.
And if an Ad can make me feel something, it's highly likely it will help me decide something, or even buy something.
So to recap once more, emotional ads help us to...
Create a human connection
Establish a positive memory associated with the brand [and]
Influence our decisions
And that's why they're so effective.
But before you stop reading, I have a couple more things to ask ChatGPT.
Could you develop an ad with an emotional appeal even though you're not human?
I was curious to see what ChatGPT would do. Not only did it respond in the affirmative, but it proceeded to give me an example video advertisement with an emotional appeal, complete with visuals, a script, and a tagline.
And it generated the ad in just a few seconds, ending with this blurb:
"In this example, the ad taps into emotions associated with love, family, and special occasions. It aims to create a sense of connection with the audience by highlighting the significance of meaningful moments in life. The visuals and voiceover work together to evoke a warm, sentimental feeling, encouraging viewers to associate the brand with positive, emotional experiences."
Not bad for a computer.
In fact, it did well enough that I decided to push it just a little more.
How would that ad make me feel?
ChatGPT responded with a complete list of what I might feel, including
Sentimental
Emotionally Connected
Happy and Uplifted
Reflective (and)
Connected to the Brand
It was a pretty accurate list. The ad example it gave me would certainly accomplish all those things. And it would only take a team a short amount of time to film and edit the ad.
But given the way AI has developed recently, what's to stop ChatGPT from generating the ad on its own in just a few more years? And what would the implications be?
I was going to leave the answer to you. But instead, I asked ChatGPT.
Will you be able to generate a video ad in the future?
I first asked ChatGPT if it could generate that video ad, and it replied that it couldn't and gave me a complete script instead. And then I asked if in the future it would be able to, and this is part of its response:
"Technological advancements are occurring rapidly, and it's possible that in the future, AI models like me could gain the capability to generate video content. If such advancements occur, it would be exciting and could open up new possibilities for creative expression and communication"
So what does this mean for the future?
Clearly, emotional appeals in advertising can have a powerful effect on a consumer. It can help them remember the ad, feel connected to a brand, and ultimately lead to a purchase.
And given that ChatGPT understands this perfectly, the ability of a computer to generate a powerful ad has never been greater.
And with the recent surge in the power of AI, in just a few more years AI could make a complete ad by itself. And it would probably be pretty effective.
So what does that mean for you and me?
It means we're about to see some good ads. And for me?
That's no problem at all
P.S. - If you don't like my ending to the post, here are ChatGPT's ideas of how to end it. Which is better? You decide.
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