Key Themes in great creativeCreating Engagement
Driving emotional involvementto influence memories
The first important stage of Attention is to make the viewer watch for as long as possible, and we’ve looked at some great examples of techniques which successfully achieve that goal. But viewing is not all we need and is not the same as captivating. Ads which can make the viewer feel something – an emotional response that stimulates engagement – are more likely to leave memories and associations in the brain which will positively frame later decision making.
What we call Active Attention reflects content which causes the viewer to smile, to frown, to laugh, to cry – and much more. Not all parts of an ad may be equally engaging – focus may be on certain scenes or elements which are particularly compelling. But where emotional engagement is strongly integrated with brand focus and message articulation, great creative content emerges.
Our 2024 TV and Digital winners include some wonderful examples of emotional engagement, or Active Attention. They include great storytelling, shared connections, emotional narrative, humor and pure joy.
The most involving ads tend to have one or more elements of great storytelling.
By dramatizing messages for people, and showing them in the form of stories, they are easier for the brain to digest without having to work hard.
In an analysis of almost 400 ads in the US, we saw that story ads were more likely to deliver higher levels of expressiveness, reflecting ongoing engagement throughout the ad, as the story made use of tensions, bridges and solutions.
‘Unwired. Perfection.’ from LG is our overall #2 North American Digital winner this year. It tells a clear and involving story with a touch of humor, highlighting the benefits of the brand’s new unwired TV. Even without any v/o or text until the very end we get to know the main character’s personality and so we understand why the new TV is a perfect fit.
Sometimes storytelling can be as simple as making a message that has the potential to be straightforward into a little ‘drama’.
Humanizing a message is a great way to add emotion where it might be otherwise missing.
Human connections drive emotion as effectively as anything, and ads which can tap into the depth of meaning that this represents can be powerful vehicles for engagement. Social connectedness has been linked with better health, longer life and improved well-being, so it’s not surprising that – when done well – great creative can draw on this basic need.
L.L.Bean’s ‘Puffer Blanket’ ad is a gentle but deeply satisfying demonstration of human connectedness. The v/o outlines the basis of the friendship, and the brand becomes a perfect representation of what that emotional association means to the speaker.
Ads which connect the viewer in shared realities by tapping into communal memories and experiences are more likely to deliver stronger emotional connection.
Personal relevance is a big driver of engagement, so engaging creative can tap into things that we all do, things that we all feel, things that we all encounter or even things that we all remember – nostalgia through cultural reference can be a great foundation for a creative idea, for example referencing a movie, a song or a story we all know. As with any creative approach, it does, of course, need to feel right for the brand, for example stressing brand heritage, and needs to be relevant to the story being told.
The Coca-Cola Zero Sugar ‘Scream: 30’ ad showcases exactly what it feels like to be a college football (and indeed any sports) fan. For many years Coke has represented fandom with empathy, and this ad demonstrates through a changing series of emotions – anticipation, joy, anger, frustration and ultimately elation – exactly what that feels like. In terms of pure emotion, this one is hard to beat.
After a decline in challenging times, use of humor has continued to grow again.
People love to laugh, and this recognition as a foundation of great and engaging creative means the topic has been important in industry discussion and has even seen a humor category introduced at Cannes for 2024.
Kantar’s own Ad Reaction study has shown that humor is the most powerful enhancer of ad receptivity from Gen X to Gen Z. Humor needs to be customized to channel expectations. But when fine-tuned to fit the brand’s personality and suited to both the audience and the platform it appears on, it is a great way to engage audiences and leave memories.
Our #1 North American Digital Winner, which is also our #1 Global Digital winner, is Kahlúa’s ‘15s Gasp feat. Salma Hayek’. In a fast and efficient 15 seconds, perfect for its digital environment, we see a ridiculous parody of telenovela style, as each character wildly over-reacts to multiple uses of the Kahlúa brand, all topped off with an absurd dramatic entrance and memorable announcement from our main character. Bold, attention-grabbing, hilarious and supremely memorable.
In previous years, our global CEAs have highlighted the importance of ads reflecting essential joy.
Joy is a way of building emotional engagement and Active Attention, and this remains a key means of delivering creative effectiveness.
People continue to experience everyday worries, and ads which can illustrate optimism and positivity matter.
Our example of pure joy is Hershey’s ‘Prep 1513’ ad. To be clear this isn’t a loud and demonstrative shout of elation, but as we almost secretly stand alongside a father and his giggling, giddy daughters while they prepare and enjoy s’mores, we not only feel their wonder and delight, but we also tap into our own experiences of this classic moment.
