We all have a few commercials that make us bust out laughing, tug at our heart strings, or make us “oh and ah”. Now how many of those commercials have animals in them? Chances are at least one if not all of them do. Marketers have been using animals in their advertising campaigns for decades, and they use them because they work. Here’s why animals work in advertising.
It is every marketer’s goal to make an emotional connection with their target audience. However, this is often easier said than done. The way that you make an emotional connection with your audience is to relate to them, often on a personal level. For the most part, we all like animals and using them in advertising is an excellent way to capture our attention.
Let’s take a look at some of the classic animals we know from high-profile advertising campaigns. For instance, the Budweiser Clydesdales have been an icon for the well-known beer brand since 1933. We all loved the 2013 Super Bowl commercial with the baby Clydesdale. It was memorable, inspiring, and drew an instant connection. Not to mention Budweiser used the ad to capitalize on audience engagement by encouraging people to help name the baby Clydesdale.
Other classic animal icons in the advertising world include the Coca-Cola polar bears with their funny antics, human-like expressions, and family inspired appeal. The Geico gecko is one of the most notable spokes animals with his quick wit and humorous personality. Another great animal in advertising that snagged our attention was the fun-loving golden retriever “Duke” brought to us by Bush’s Baked Bean’s.
All of these animals gain our attention and even have us anticipating the next new commercial they will be featured in. Animals can quickly become the face of a brand and many marketers are strategic in how they select these animals and what type of personality they give them. The goal is to get our attention and keep it, what better way to do that than with a cute, fluffy dog or goofy, comical reptile.
Check out some of the newest animal inspired commercials.
Kia Soul’s 2014 hamster commercial.
Subaru’s XV Crosstrek commercial.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ozs123bnWI&noredirect=1
What’s your favorite animal inspired commercial?
Image courtesy of imagerymajestic at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Linda Fanaras is the CEO and Founder of Millennium Agency located in Manchester, NH and Boston. She can be reached at 877-873-7445 or [email protected].
