You’re My Glue- Ads that “stick”
Duracell and the way it keeps you going. The message is simple: “you can get through this”, specifically with the power of their batteries. They employ subtle storytelling, there is no implicit narrator- however you can put the pieces together visibly and by ‘tapping in’ to their voices. A young girl who misses her father, who is away in the military. Her mother is aware her daughter misses him, whether he is participating in combat on the field is unknown. Perhaps they left this to interpretation of their audiences experiences. The doll speaks to her: “I love you baby girl”, (0:17-0:19), a simple way to remind the girl he cares for her. Duracell perfectly captures their tagline: “Duracell keeps you going”.
They further elaborate on tugging our heart strings with their tagline “bitter is better”. They employ the way lithium batteries can save a child (s) life, turning a third-person view toward a second. This is your and you care on their well-being. The message is simple with explicit storytelling, one that is relatable and serious. Does your child run around crazy? Do they get into EVERYTHING??! Duracell successfully uses storytelling and a simple message to create emotional ads, specifically by targeting those we care about. Duracell drives home the message with a statement from a credible source to prove the dangers of lithium coin batteries. They bring in a certified emergency room doctor who frequently handles children. Dr Harris mentions he sees several children go in for the very issue of lithium power. When swallowed they can lodge your child’s throat and burn them, causing life threatening injuries. Harris delivers the closing curtain of Ducale’s message that universally appeals: why eat something if it doesn’t taste good? A bitter coating prevents unwanted swallowing and consumption of lithium -Dr Harris. The biggest fault in this advert is the names of parents, adding this would add an extra layer of credibility. Are they really just paid actors?
Apartments.com and Redfin are companies involved in real-estate, they take unique and funny approaches. Redfin follows classic storytelling, their story isn’t implicit similarly to Duracell. Goldie Locks and the three bears. An easy visual for those familiar, they use visuals of bears to further prove this. Redfin perfectly captures their audience’s tastes: ‘Redfin real estate in the consumer’s flavor”. Is the porridge too hot, meaning, too expensive? Is it too cold- meaning it’s out of style or way too cheap to consider it a “good deal”? Is it warm, sweet, and smooth- just right. Hitting the price points- the wish list. At Redfin listings are updated every two minutes, meaning your child can finally move out of the house. The tone seems harsh, there are parents who are happy to have their children live with them for a lifetime. The underlying tone is that Redfin is perfect for the pickiest of people. Apartments.com employs the emotion of fear- the visuals are very strong. Who knew finding a good place was similar to being abducted by aliens? The unexpected, perhaps it’s a subtle metaphor for: “your __ really wants a new home before they send you into outer space”? Maybe you’re purchasing your first apartment and find the process intimidating.
Talking toddlers tax is very unexpected. One would assume an adult or financial expert would be talking? They give a concrete fact that instills fear: “Investors like you could lose thousands of dollars on their 401K to hidden fees”. “Thankfully e-trade has low cost investments and no hidden fees”. “But you know, if you’re still bent on blowing this fat stack of cash, there’s a couple ways you could do it”. “We’re drinking from the bottle”. In the song the highlights is one enjoying life to its fullest, they replace what adults may view as alcohol with a kid friendly version of milk. Yes children can be very picky on their milk, similar to the Goldilocks metaphor. Now, what are you going to do? The biggest gap they could add is word of advice from a financial expert- maybe it’s then as a teenager?
Now, let’s examine articles where people didn’t measure up to wordplay.
The advertisement is created by Tabasco hot sauce, the tagline is where the advert falls short. Whilst the message “don’t think, just drink” and the intended visual shows the true intention was to show Tobacco sauce is so good you’ll put it on everything or have it straight up, for others this could be viewed as insensitive. Don’t think, just drinking does not fare well for one’s physical well being in the world of alcohol, in severe cases it can cause hospitalization. The company does make a simple message and perhaps an emotional touch of fear or disgust: “you did what???”.
