Commercials are often annoying- something to skip or ignore while you’re waiting for your show to resume. But some commercials are well-narrated stories that move you to the core. And this is exactly what every brand that is creating a commercial should aspire for i.e., deliver a deep and impactful message.
So, here we are with the top 5 commercials that not just deliver the intended message but will also have a deep emotional impact on you.
1. Pfizer- Be Brave
Pfizer, a Canadian biopharmaceutical company, came up with a commercial that begins with a scene of a young man painting graffiti in a dark alleyway. He looks around to ensure that nobody is seeing him, sprays the wall, and then climbs up the fire escape to paint there too.
He is then seen entering a building, where a tired, sad woman is sitting at the table with a girl. The young man backs to the room at the back, where another young girl is lying on the bed with tubes going into her nose. The man then walks to the window, pushes the curtain aside to reveal his graffiti work on the sides of two pale brick buildings. The graffiti work shows the words “Be Brave” written on the wall, surrounded by beautiful flowers.
Therefore, what the viewers seem to think as an act of vandalism is revealed as an act of love and care. The ad ends with the message that sometimes medication is not enough, which couldn’t be more true.
2. Chevrolet- Maddie
If you have a dog, this ad will rip your heart out. The ad shows a young girl taking an old golden retriever to a vet’s office. The commercial then quickly cuts away to different moments where the dog was with the girl- from the time she graduated to the time when her boyfriend broke up with her. As the girl learns to drive, the dog, Maddie, sits in the backseat bravely.
The ad then brings the audience back to the present where the woman is seen kissing Maddie on the nose as her eyes well up with tears. Although the viewer isn’t told what’s about to happen, one can easily guess.
Chevrolet beautifully captures the entire relationship of a woman and her dog so that the audience can feel her pain as she prepares for the most heartbreaking moment in any dog owner’s life.
3. Thai Life Insurance - Believe In Good
Why do good people do what they do, especially when they get nothing in return? Well, this commercial from Thail Life Insurance will provide you with an answer to all those questions.
The commercial features a young man giving alms to a young girl who wants to go to the school, feed a stray dog, leave bananas at the door of an old lady, and help a food vendor push her cart across the street- every day.
Towards the end of the ad, we get to realize that while there isn’t any monetary benefit to the young man’s acts of kindness, there is a sense of satisfaction in doing your part in making the world a better place. The young man attains what money can never buy. He receives emotions and a deeper understanding with everyone whom he’s helped. In turn, the people he helps themselves turn into better individuals. Therefore, his act of goodness spreads like a chain cycle.
4. National Cancer Insitute of Thailand- Sister
Tear alert ahead! This commercial from Thailand’s National Cancer Institute hits you right in the gut. It portrays a poignant story of two sisters who don’t get along. While they had never been fond of each other, the differences between them keep increasing as they grow older. The low point comes when the elder sister discovers that her money’s been stolen by her younger sister to party with her friends.
Eventually, the elder sister is diagnosed with cancer. It is at this point that the sisters realize that all they have got is each other. The younger sister donates her hair to make a wig for her elder sister. The commercial ends with the conclusion “ What my sister gave me that day is more than just hair.”
While the story itself is very impressive, another reason why the ad stands out is the true depiction of what cancer patients go through in their everyday lives. The ad successfully delivers the message that while cancer patients may or may not survive, a bit of support and love is all they need to at least spend their remaining days happily.
5. MetLife Hong Kong- My Father Lies
This MetLife Hong Kong's commercial is a testament to the sacrifices that parents make for their children. The ad shows a little girl giving her father a piece of paper on which she has written her father’s qualities. The voiceover starts saying how amazing her father is.
The father’s expression changes from happiness to sadness as he reads the final part of the essay where the girl has written “Daddy is just great, but he lies.”
The flashback takes us to different scenarios, where the father is seen trying to secure a job at the unemployment office, do menial labor, look for money in his pockets, avoid eating at a restaurant to save money. All this, as the girl says, he does for this daughter.
The ad shows the father and daughter hugging each other as they cry.
This one will really trigger the waterworks for even the most cold-hearted fellas out there. Keep the tissues ready.
Bottom Line
So, that was our list of the most emotional and impactful ads. Since you’ve probably witnessed a lot of waterworks today, we’ll be back tomorrow with a few funny commercials that will be easy on your heart.
Till then, stay tuned!