What do ideal video ads look like? Awfully similar - at least scientifically.
We’ve studied more than 2,000 video ads over the years - many funny, many nostalgic, many celebrity-driven. Regardless of creative direction, industry or length, we’ve found a very consistent pattern in those spots that are most successful, that is, those that deliver the most emotional engagement.
Below is an example of the the moment-by-moment emotional engagement seen in a successful ad. The trace shows how engaging ads grab attention early, take viewers on a journey and end on an emotional high or with an emotional pay-off. How do advertisers accomplish this? Over and over again, we see that audiences engage with stories that feature relatable characters, establish a need state for the brand, product or service and ultimately satisfy that need state while taking them on a journey. Most importantly, the ads end on an emotional high or climax. While this is not a universal truth, it is remarkable how close successful ads mimic this pattern, and how much unsuccessful ads deviate from it.
Simple? Yes. But it is not easy. The good news is that as we move into a world where video advertising is not limited to TV, the basic premise still holds regardless of what screen or platform video ads are consumed through.
Two examples of this pattern, taken from past Super Bowls, include Google’s 2010 “Parisian Love” and Cheerios’ 2014 “Game Day.”
In less than a minute, Google tells a powerful story of the search for love - with a consistent, subtle message about its ability to satisfy the protagonist’s need, before bringing viewers to a climax with a surprise ending. Cheerios takes a viewers through a similarly simple narrative, but with a focus on the need for comfort and support when delivering life altering news - making room in the little girl’s life for a new sibling. Once again, the brand is prominently featured and integrated throughout the story, and the surprise twist at the end leaves the audience on an emotional high.
Ultimately, video advertising is about leaving a lasting impact - one that drives consumers to make a decision. Today’s video advertising must capture and keep an audience’s attention, particularly in an evolving media environment where viewers have so many choices (including to fast-forward or shift attention to a second screen or searching online for information). Video must be able to create and carry through a narrative and a story that grabs attention. They also must understand how and when to incorporate emotional triggers - a delicate balance that’s as much art as science.
Whatever your spot is trying to convey, whatever it sounds or feels like - just make sure it looks like this.
