The road less travelled...

in

Big disclaimer... this ad has some disturbing images. 

I really don't like this ad from Save the Children UK.

I don't like shock value, and I think this ad depends on the easier to access shock value rather than the harder to achieve hope. Its shocking because they think that will get attention, and they're right, it will get attention. But when they have my attention where do they take me? Can they get me to connect to the message and give me money to their cause, which the ultimate goal of this ad.

I think they missed the boat. They could have shown a mother giving birth, we could have heard the baby crying, but what about seeing the happy family members? What about seeing the mother holding her new born baby? They could have told a moving story, a story every parent could connect with, instead they decided to shock us into paying attention.

Instead of relief or happy or hope, they leave me feeling grossed out and kinda spent emotionally, that's not what's going to motivate me to give. The image in my mind is the mother turned on her side crying, is that really the emotion & message they're trying to convey?

Beyond being off-emotion, I think the ad is off-message. The CG's feel misordered, they should have put the midwife information into the middle of the ad, and ended with "Make sure a baby's first day isn't its last..." which has a nice ring to it and hits the message they're trying to deliver.

Attention is easy, real emotion is hard, this ad takes the easy route and is less effective for it.

Simple and straightforward -- Form follows emotion

in

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b50gGHz9F7g&feature=youtu.be] This video is a great example of form following function. In fact, the form follows emotion.

While the old style mock school educational film is a classic style, in this case, it perfectly fits the theme. From the suffragettes to portraying Republicans as out of step, the style of the video perfectly reinforces not jus the message but the emotion.

Ok maybe it gets a little long, but still super clever and well done.

Form follows Emotion

in

I'm reading the Steve Jobs biography, and I came across this quote from his first designer, Hartmut Esslinger: "Form follows emotion."

The statement resonates with me particularly because I'm such a fan of form integrating with function, but of course in advertising function basically boils down to emotion.  The form should be connected intimately to the emotional frequency of the brand and message you're trying to drive.

That leads me to a discussion of this ad:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zet8ZGXmjj4&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nationalreview.com%2Fcorner%2F287556%2Fnew-huntsman-tv-ad-country-first-brian-bolduc&feature=player_embedded]

This ad is surprisingly simple in form, but that simplicity is a strength in this case adding a verisimilitude to Huntsman.Using the debate clips without commentary is powerful, even the cutaways to Perry and Mitt looking flummoxed works and adds to the sense of reality.

Huntsman comes off as tough, honest, and eloquent. Talking about his kids in the navy serving a Democratic president is a nice touch.

While patriotism is a good quality in an of itself, it also serves as a macguffin -- what Huntsman is really saying is he's the principled one in the race. The contrast is obviously with Mitt, where Mitt is calculating and rising money, Huntsman is principled and committed to his values, even serving for a Democratic president because it was his duty. He's not playing politics he's serving his country, what more could you want in a President?

I think this is a very good ad for Huntsman, contrasting his strengths against his opponent's weaknesses. It's presents his best on-emotion argument for voting for him, in an authentic execution, the real question for him is this enough to propel his campaign forward? And, do Republicans care?