Advertising for large organisations and businesses is crucial, and getting it right can be hard. In this blog we focus on a handful of adverts that did just that, by tugging at the heartstrings:
Sainsbury’s 2014 Christmas Advert
Representing the pinnacle of festive sentimentality, Sainsbury’s 2014 Christmas advert acts as an emotive retelling of the famous football match and gift exchanges between opposing English and German soldiers during WW2. Made in partnership with The Royal British Legion, the advert definitely tugs at the heartstrings of its viewers, as reflected in an array of review articles.
Nationwide 2015 ‘Best Dad’ Advert
Nationwide delivered a fantastic advert, centred on the drawing of parallels between a Nationwide employee helping a young man to find the ‘Best Dad scarf’ he made for his father when he was young, and the paternalistic nature of Nationwide as an organisation that looks out for its customers’ best interests. Launched in tandem with the Twitter hashtag #BestDadScarf, the campaign allowed Nationwide to gauge how well the ad was received, which incidentally, turns out to be very well.
UPS Holiday Advert
This heart-warming ad operates on the simple, yet touching premise that UPS don’t just deliver parcels, they deliver wishes and happiness. The vehicle for this narrative comes in the form of an unexpected gift for a child that absolutely loves the delivery trucks and their local driver ‘Mr Ernie’. Awesome.
John Lewis 2014 Christmas Advert
Often heralded as the king of Christmas adverts, John Lewis used this advert to portray their belief in giving at Christmas time, proving that nothing can trump the timeless imagination of children.
A Twitter hashtag was also central to the campaign (#MontyThePenguin) along with specific products within the stores relating to the advert – it was also mentioned in numerous newspaper articles too.
Samsung’s Hearing Hands Advert
Samsung put a month of work into providing a hearing impaired man with an experience like no other. With the use of hidden cameras, numerous actors and hours of sign language training, the overall campaign was branded a huge success.
Apple really hit the nail on the head with this advert. Admittedly completely different to their usual adverts, they adopted the heart-warming approach, doing an undoubtedly great job in the process. The advert is based on the premise that many adults and parents in particular, believe that teenagers are always on their mobile devices, using this as a basis to create something special.
What makes these adverts and campaigns so effective is their ability to provoke a reaction in the hearts and minds of their viewers – it’s all about inspiring action. At Catalyst, we know just how important it is to know your customer inside out – this is the foundation for the successful marketing campaigns we create and implement on behalf of our clients.