When the holiday season arrives each fall, retailers are eager to share with everyone the commercials they’ve labored over for months. The hope is they’ve created an ad with such strong emotional triggers that it generates millions of views and massive positive impact for the brand.
Producing a holiday advertising campaign that creates emotional connections to truly connect with the target audience doesn’t happen by accident. They’re the result of weeks or months of carefully planned quantitative, qualitative, and biometrics shopper insights research digging deep into the emotions triggered by every component of an ad.
A perfect example of emotional triggering that tugs at the heart is Amazon’s 2023 holiday ad called “Joy Ride.” It’s impossible to watch this ad and not feel a meaningful connection with the story and the characters.
Ground Emotional Triggers in Authenticity
The most important component of building emotional triggers into holiday advertising is authenticity. Brands that are perceived to be genuine and true to their values create more trust and positive perceptions among consumers. Their advertising is more relateable on a deeper level which creates stronger bonds with consumers.
By showing compassion and empathy for elderly people’s needs and desires, Amazon’s mission “to be Earth’s most customer-centric company” comes out loud and clear in their holiday ad.
Build Storytelling Into Emotional Triggers
Think about some of your favorite commercials of all time. Did they show a product and describe a series of key features and benefits? Did they list out a set of discounts and qualification criteria that would be available at an upcoming sale?
More than likely, your favorite commercials told a story that felt familiar and meaningful. Macy’s 2023 ad called “Hey Santa” isn’t simply a list of products or discounts. It uses narratives and character development to share the story of a child offering a gift to a kind stranger.
Successful ads employ storytelling to create familiarity and closeness that engages people on a deeper level.
Bring Joy with Positive Emotional Triggers
Not surprisingly, many people say they dislike advertising. For some, ads feel manipulative, irrelevant, and unengaging. For others, holiday ads are disappointing reminders of over-consumption and lost family connections. At a time when people really need more joy and generosity in their lives, the holiday season can actually be a sad time.
As such, there is a great opportunity for holiday advertising to promote goodwill and generosity. While the Macy’s ad shares a heartwarming story of a young child being generous, this 2023 ad from Coca-Cola called “The World Needs More Santas” shows that there is space for people from all walks of life to bring joy to others through good deeds and generosity.
Warm the Heart with Familiar Emotional Triggers
Using emotional triggers can create a sense of familiarity which, over time, extends to the brand. Ads that incorporate relatable holiday experiences, like family gatherings, gift exchanges, and traditions, resonate with people more and are more memorable.
In particular, evoking emotions such as love, happiness, nostalgia, and excitement will make those ads even more memorable, build stronger emotional connections, and build positive associations that can lead to brand loyalty.
This 2023 ad from Sephora called “The Gift That Says Everything” illustrates a few of many kinds of love. Seeing expressions of love from close friends, kindly neighbours, and people who just want to be seen for who they are tugs at the heart of just about anyone.
Create Escapism with Fantastical Emotional Triggers
Finally, the use of emotional triggers in holiday advertising can tap into a desire for much-needed escapism and fantasy.
While consumers are still in the gift-giving mindset, strategic marketers are already planning ahead for Valentine’s Day. This 2020 Valentine’s Day ad from Match called “Match Made in Hell” is a great example of using storytelling along with escapism. In a year when everyone was (and still is!) desperate to escape the consequences of the pandemic, this ad tells a fantastical story of how Satan finally found his true match.
We can all relate to and share the dream of the protagonists in this ad!
Summary
After viewing some of the most emotionally triggering commercials that were prepared for this year’s gift giving and Valentine’s Day seasons, your eyes might have a few more tears than usual right now. It’s clear that using emotional triggers can go a long way to help people connect more authentically with a brand.
With Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, and Father’s Day coming up on the marketing calendar, it’s time to ensure your brand has the necessary emotional insights that will help you connect with people on a deeper level. Using shopper research techniques like eye-tracking, the experts at Explorer Research have the deep knowledge and understanding of human emotions and behaviors you need to help you leverage emotional triggers and build a stronger path to purchase. If you’re ready to get emotional, get in touch with our team!
