Human advertisement
Time and again it is preached to tailor ad campaigns where the customer is the hero, where ideas and discussions are encouraged, stereotypes are dismissed, and brand is the highlight instead of the product. It may not sound that rationale as the product is what the customers are after right? What we fail to see is that our customers are humans first, whose decisions are guided by their emotions initially. So connecting to them in ways more than just the product, results in higher chances of conversions.
Ads are a great outlet to showcase your brand personality and what it truly stands for. By letting your audience know you, your ideals and goals, you may create a relatable brand personality for the target groups to agree with. Plus it is understood that living personalities are better connected with and leave lasting impressions than the product itself. Many brands have tried and tested this method, usually ending up with good results. In this article, we’re going to see different marketing campaigns that have been speaking volumes in volumes.
Netflix
This American streaming service and production company has established themselves very well all over the world. We know Netflix not only by their logo, but their sounds as well. Sounds that are specific to the brand play a major role in their personality, which is why sonic branding is a scope not to be forgotten. For example, Apple’s notification ping or Windows logging out. I am sure it played in your head while reading this.
Their ad campaign played that sonic branding card, and said that everyday scenarios can be a start of a great movie or series, if one can recognise them. See how they just related good movies and stories to “Tudum”?
Dove
A personal care brand that believes beauty should be a source of confidence, and not anxiety. As the age long saying goes, beauty is pain, this brand stands to defy that and change the definition of beauty. The Dove Self-Esteem Project fights for the younger generation who are constantly bombarded with social media fantasies and unrealistic beauty standards. This is a concerning issue seeing how today's generation battle with insecurities, affecting their overall mental and physical health. Highlighting their agenda and opinions humanises the brand, creating a following that supports and stands by them.
Sinyi
The 2021 Cannes winning campaign got people talking, challenging their mindset and the norm of questioning marriage. Such is the power of good marketing campaigns. This campaign was made keeping in mind the growing trend of divorce in Taiwan which ranks 1st in Asia and 2nd in the world. This is not good for real estate business since newly wed couples are their main target group. While the campaign will not bring an overnight change, it is a long term shift in the mindset of the people. Before its release, an online debate about “the age of doubting marriage” was launched by the agency. The ad garnered 14 million likes in a week and more than 40 news outlets in Taiwan reported on the film and numerous local celebrities shared it on their own social media, creating millions of dollars’ worth of exposure.
Heineken
A beloved beer brand took the pandemic and launched a series of ads in its own cheeky and humorous way. #socialiseresponsibly ads were positive, hopeful and witty as they showcased different problems and scenarios faced in the past two years. From virtual meetings, the longing of being out, to in-person gatherings, Heineken has shown that it is not the end of the world. It also openly advocated vaccines which has affected its brand following both negatively and positively. But hey! As long as you have a loyal group who believes in you, you are not alone.
Apple
Needing no introduction, this aspiring brand has established itself so well that now, their campaigns are powered by the customer itself. Introducing #shotoniphone where the world took this challenge to showcase the product. Instagram itself has more than 15 million posts on it. It built a community where the users felt as a part of the brand, increasing brand retention to 90%. At the same time, UGC also establishes trust and credibility of the product because people trust real users and their reviews. Showcasing their top-notch product, real content from real users, brand awareness and social media; they ticked all the boxes in the right way resulting in increased sales.
Axe
We are all too familiar with the axe effect. Initially it depicted women swooning over men who used the product, but conversation of toxic masculinity and sexist stereotypes led them to abandon the tagline in 2016. Now there is a refreshing take on the tag, where they have adapted to the mindset of today's consumer, bringing in inclusivity and positive attraction. (see what I did there?) This new Axe Effect depicted in “The Walk” draws attention from a broad range of people and a dog too! The entire video is active, warm, positive and definity humorous. Today, people are not only confined to one type of attraction therefore the open minded concept chucks out the sexist stereotype, a good riddance. It definitely takes advantage of the time when everyone is finally stepping out after the pandemic.
Conclusion
Your marketing campaigns connect you to your target audience, and deeper connections lead to loyal followers which in turn convert to sales. It is a no brainer that what you portray will determine what you attract, therefore keep it real, simple and human.