Columbus, OH — Two recent consumer brand ads have been making the rounds on “best of” industry lists that show how consumer brands are leveraging the emotional connection we can have to something that is present in all of pharma communications: people’s health.
Quebec tourism taunts us all in their recent video ad. Breath-taking close-ups amid sweeping panoramic shots make it impossible not to envy the protagonist of the spot for his adventurous vacation. That is, until you realize you can see what he cannot: everything. The tourist is blind, but that’s just the point. While it may seem he is being robbed of the full experience, the viewer is reminded, by way of skillful videography and well timed effects, that he has everything we do not: the smells, tastes, feel, and sounds of Quebec are all at his fingertips.
Duracell uses an inverse approach to invoke an emotional experience in last week’s tribute ad to National Hearing Month. Viewers witness the protagonist miss out on engagements with family and friends because, as the video’s muffled sound demonstrates, he simply can’t hear his loved ones. We hear and consequently see what this man cannot; we know what he’s missing, which makes it difficult to suppress a smile when he acquires Duracell-powered hearing aids and the video’s sound jolts to crystal clarity.
Why it matters
In just a few short minutes, both spots procure an emotional investment from their audiences that leverage our natural empathy for other’s health care experiences. The ads transport viewers into situations that demand recognition of certain things we may take for granted. Pharma is an industry where the emotional burdens of health are omnipresent, and these ads are a great challenge for marketers to try to raise — and exceed — the bar.
