Inside every human being is a desire to connect in real and tangible ways. This desire for connection permeates everything we do and every decision we make: even our decisions of what to buy and when. We respond to ads because we connect with them somehow. A spokesperson, scene, or catchphrase resonates with us and makes us laugh, or cry, or both.
<ul><li>A soldier sits down in a quiet moment to listen to a recordable storybook his child sent from home.</li>
<li>A team of clydesdales pulls an iconic wagon into New York City, then bows silently before the Statue of Liberty in reverence.</li>
<li>A couple drives frantically to the top of a parking ramp. The man jumps out and signals his confused girlfriend to follow, just in time to... miss the airplane banner flying by, asking her to marry him.</li></ul>
Each of these commercials (and many others like them) tells a story that, at first glance, has little to do with the product they're selling. Instead, they show the product (or in the case of the clydesdales, a symbol of the product) in real-life situations that make it far more relatable than a simple product shot or feature list ever could.
Here are links to the three commercials I mentioned in this post. A quick warning: If you haven't seen these, you might want to have a box of Kleenex nearby for the first two. Feel free to list some of your own favorites in the comments at the end of this post.
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2IQ4jpsoOA" target="_blank">"Active Duty" Hallmark Commercial</a>
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4yfivS8SWs" target="_blank">9/11 Tribute from Budweiser</a>
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZeHSFLfu8c" target="_blank">Wherever Life Takes You (Chevy Cruze ECO)</a>
