The world is undoubtedly in some emotional turmoil right now.
Whether wanted or not, emotion stirs up a great deal of visibility. It ignites—and in
some cases—even drains energy. While political campaigns are the typical catalysts for stirring up feelings around a particular topic, corporate marketing campaigns can be equally fueled by emotion.
More and more companies are pulling the emotional trigger to create more relevance, context, and connection with their audiences. And as suggested by Beth Comstock, Vice Chair for General Electric, their efforts aren't going unnoticed.
In recognition of a very passionate political landscape right now, here are some of the most emotional marketing campaigns over the last few years. Get out your tissues. While effective and compelling, as you'd expect, they're not always easy to watch.
Cute little animals hugging one another. That’s all Android needed to effectively push the video feature on their mobile device. Whether you’re an animal lover or not, this marketing campaign is sure to strike a canine-loving cord with you. Android cleverly took the concept of mobile video and added their own furry characters to the mix.
I will admit whole heartedly that I shed a tear when I first saw this. MetLife brilliantly captures the story of a little girl who suddenly realizes her father has been working multiple jobs to support the two of them. MetLife does an excellent job illustrating a parent’s struggle to give his child the emotional, financial, and health support she needs.
The digital cat craze isn’t going away anytime soon. And why should it? That’s why GoPro was quick to act when they came across actual footage of a firefighter saving a nearly frozen kitten in the middle of winter. The footage, shot entirely using a GoPro camera (much to their excitement), showed the fireman miraculously bringing the cat back to life. Start with the cat element. Sprinkle a little of the hero element. Give it a happy ending and you have a brilliant emotional formula.
There are effective case studies and then there’s this video. Google Earth was literally in the right place at the right time when they stumbled on this true to life opportunity. The video features Saroo Brierley who, as an adult, was able to locate his biological family through childhood memories and the help of #GoogleEarth. If this at all sounds familiar, that’s because Google Earth got its second—and even bigger—commercial stint with the release of the feature film “Lion,” based entirely on Saroo’s story. Chills.
What’s right up there with puppies and kittens in terms of consistently garnering viral attention? You guessed it…kids and babies. The Make-a-Wish Foundation and Disney joined forces to deliver the heartfelt #ShareYourEars social media campaign. As part of the campaign, adorable pics of kids and babies (and believe it or not…adults) were uploaded to Twitter and Instagram. Each post unlocked a $5 donation to the Make-A-Wish Foundation which was capped at $1 million.
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