Harnessing (Good) Emotions: The Framework Behind Unforgettable Ad Campaigns

This week, Apple announced their new "thinnest ever" iPad Pro with their "Crush" ad campaign, which was poorly received. Apple has since apologized and retracted the ad from TV. (If you haven't seen it, you can still view it here). New York Times pointed out remarks from artists, actors and musicians outcrying that "the ad (is) a metaphor for how Big Tech has cashed in on their work by crushing or co-opting the artistic tools that humanity has used for centuries". Such a polarizing response from a community once celebrated in Apple's classic 1997 "Think Different" ad, still inspirational to this day.

It's rare for Apple to miss its mark with its audience. Yes, the ad left an impression, albeit visceral, heavy and confusing -- but I doubt this was the original intent going into studio.

Brand marketers and creatives are uniquely challenged to stand out and be memorable especially when consumer attention span is low. Last year, Boston Digital reported consumer attention span at a whoppin' 8 seconds. The irony is that the average daily usage of screen time -- at least on mobile -- is 4.5 hours as reported by Statista.

So how does a brand leave a lasting (and great) impression about a product launch given these challenges?

I would argue that the answer lies in one of the most-watched, most-shared Super Bowl ads (echo effect: "of all time..."), the Volkswagen Darth Vader Passat commercial launched in 2011. Watch or re-watch, and notice that you're left with an excellent framework for brand storytelling and informing ad creative. That framework includes:

1. Knowing Your Audience;
2. Leading with Emotion;
3. Selling a Lifestyle;
4. Capturing Nuances;
5. Ending with Emotion (the Good Ones).

This seems obvious in hindsight. So how did the team at Volkswagen get it right?

Know Your Audience

Knowing your audience means understanding your current customers and what drives them. Often, marketers focus on brand personas. Ideally these should be based on data and attributes similar to your "best" customers. But that is not always the case.

Here, Volkswagen and the creative team at Deutsch tapped into their audience segment: the nuclear suburban family. The art direction is focused on little kid Vader and his frustrated attempts to trigger the Force. We see him targeting his dog, his sister's doll on the bed, the washer and dryer -- and a personal favorite: him summoning his sandwich (thanks, but no thanks Mom).

We can stop here.

Volkswagen could have sold us the Passat starting with the cabin interior and exterior, the safety features, beautiful winding drives, gas efficiency, proprietary technology, etc. Or price. All of these speak to values that their customers care about. It's been done many times over.

Instead, Volkswagen tapped into the value of joy. Specifically, family joy: the kid's body language from initiating the Force unexpectedly, a mutual dry pause and "knowing look" from the parent's faces, and our own surprise as viewers watching the story unfold.

The team compounded the emotion across audiences: children, parents and viewers. Really anyone who appreciates the subtlety of pulling one's leg.

Leading with Emotion

Time reported that the creative team at Deutsch was inspired by this photo of a kid wearing a Darth Vader helmet at a Burger King when collaborating with Volkswagen.

Looking at the picture, I can see why. The whole photo is a mood. And there's hilarity in the mundane. What are his thoughts as he stares at his ketchup and waits for his meal? He's perfectly at ease wearing his helmet in public alone in his booth. It's no surprise that the creative team saw this picture and imagined, well perhaps he's trying to trigger the Force. Let's concept from that angle because kids are refreshingly themselves. Imaginative play and the real world are one and the same.

You can sense the emotions in the ad: the subtle hilarity from each attempt, the wry expressions from the family dog (and parents), the doll's blank stare, the frustration but also persistent hope from Vader. Volkswagen taps into these emotions with excellent art direction and cues. The child's body language is superb and believable, especially when the car starts.

Selling a Lifestyle

In the Volkswagen ad, there are more scenes of the home and neighborhood than the actual car itself. Volkswagen is selling imagination, joy and fun for your everyday normal. The fact that the car can start itself is a useful feature when playing subtle tricks on your family.

Other iconic brands such as Nike have captured emotion and lifestyle with less than six words in their "Long Shot" campaign. The campaign aired in Iowa City featuring star athlete Caitlyn Clark after she broke the record for the most points scored by an NCAA Division I basketball player, as reported by SI.

The emotion Nike sells here? Empowerment, pride and personal achievement. Extra points for ad placement in her home state.

Brands that lead with the positive emotions in ad campaigns arguably outperform brands that rely on negative emotions. That is part of the formula for why Nike remains #1 in Hypebeast's Brand Ratings with campaign tag lines focus on the affirmative like "Always Go Forward" or the timeless "Just Do It".

Capturing the Nuances

Viewers relate to authenticity. Volkswagen's ad featured relatable content within a 1:31 min timeframe. Each scene reinforces their audience lifestyle, and the details matter. Vader's mom in the kitchen gives him his sandwich after his attempt to summon it over; he languishes after. Even with a helmet on, we feel his struggle. Notably, mom doesn't quite smile but watches on. We do too.

Each nuance reinforces the emotions. When the 2012 Passat is first introduced, we see Dad ready to receive a hug. Instead, Vader shoves him away to start the Force. The scene evokes a familiar and absurd hilarity that as a parent kids are unexpected and can deliver surprise at any time.

Ending with Emotions (the Good Ones)

It's hard to imagine that child actor Max Page acted the final scene as his reaction to the remote-less engine starter appears as genuine pure shock. Viewers may have unexpected this feature at the time as well. The end of the commercial ends with the new Passat announcement with a starting price at $20k (which seems so low now).

We are left with all the feels. The good ones: humor, surprise, delight, and joy.

Perhaps this is why Apple missed the beat with its Crush TV ad. We aren't left with positive emotions after watching music instruments, TVs, toys and paint destroyed. I'm unclear what lifestyle this inspires. Moreover, having a thinner device is ... handy, but when did Apple start selling convenience?

I'm not too concerned with Apple's TV ad commercial miss even if revenue is slightly down (and that is very slight) -4% at $90.8 billion year-over-year based on their recent earnings call. But leadership's call-out in their quarterly earnings two weeks ago makes me wonder if they are as aligned to what their customers want as, "...we were thrilled to launch Apple Vision Pro and to show the world the potential that spatial computing unlocks. We’re also looking forward to an exciting product announcement next week and an incredible Worldwide Developers Conference next month. As always, we are focused on providing the very best products and services for our customers, and doing so while living up to the core values that drive us.”

[Said "exciting product announcement" was the iPad Pro.]

What does innovation look like to them and how will they next message releases and launches? Frankly, it's not too late to take a page from their 1997 "Think Different" campaign, and tap back into the nostalgia, emotions and lifestyle they inspired as they brainstorm.

Curious what you think and which brand campaigns inspired all the right feels.