Great ads create a great emotional connection, and many times, don’t even involve a product or service. The clamor on Social media and with my friends and family in England has been, “Have you seen that Sainsbury’s Christmas ad? It’s great!”
Sainsbury’s Christmas Ad
Sainsbury’s Christmas Ad is appearing in social media feeds around the world. Inspired by a true story that happened during “The Great War” (WWI) Christmas Eve in 1914, it tells the extraordinary story of the Christmas Truce when British and German Soldiers took a respite from the horrors of trench warfare and shared in a little Christmas football.
Sainsbury executives wanted to tell this story with as much historical accuracy as possible as they explain in their “Making of our Christmas Ad” video. They paid attention to specific details that were mentioned in the journals and letters of those who were there, 100 years ago this year. The wanted the ad to be as authentic as possible to honor all the young men and boys who lost their lives there.
To further promote the feelings of pride and gratitude, they took additional steps to support their message. Sainsbury’s reverted to a Belgian Chocolate recipe and produced packaging from the era 100 years ago. Furthermore, they will donate all the proceeds from the sales of these commemorative chocolate bars to The Royal British Legion, a charity in Britain that addressed the social and emotional necessities of current and past members of the British Armed Forces and their families.
When you evoke emotions that create a good memory based on the content of your ad, you create Customer Expectations for your experience. These expectations are tied to the emotions they feel when they watch your ad.
Also, sometimes fate lends a hand. One of the other reasons why this ad is particularly poignant at this time is because of the poppy display at the Tower of London.The poppy in Great Britain is a symbol of Remembrance, as the poppy was the only flower to grow in the devastation of the battlefields of Europe.You will see from this video that a piece of art has captured people’s imagination. This display at the Tower of London, where each poppy represents one British or colonial soldier who lost their life in World War 1.
Here is a drone tour of the remarkable display:
Ads that appeal to emotions are memorable. When they can evoke empathy, joy, laughter, or inspiration from the audience, they connect with us and embed in our memories, colored with the feelings we had when we watched them. It is essential that you connect your Customer Experience to these ads, and sustain this emotional experience for Customers.
Sainsbury’s Christmas ad is an excellent example of using emotions to create a connection and brand promise with Customers, an essential first step to an excellent Customer Experience. May it also create a Customer Experience that fosters Customer Loyalty and Retention, the hallmarks of a successful marketing campaign.
Lastly, and most importantly, it would be wrong of me not to also pay respect to all lives that have been lost in wars. These brave men and women will always be remembered.
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Colin Shaw is the founder and CEO of Beyond Philosophy, one of the world’s first organizations devoted to customer experience. Colin is an international author offour best-selling books and an engaging keynote speaker.
Follow Colin Shaw on Twitter @ColinShaw_CX