Ads with an emotional pull perform around twice as well (31% vs 16%) as rational content, according to the University of Southern California. These five films show how brands have deployed unexpected endings to evoke an emotional response and jolt people into action.
American Cancer Story | Change the Ref | Klick Health, Toronto | 2024
This film intertwined the harsh realities of both paediatric cancer and gun violence, following a young girl who beats cancer only to face a school shooting. The film prompted US President Biden to announce an expansion of background checks for gun buyers. After the campaign won Gold at Cannes Lions in 2024 in the Entertainment category, Juror Shannon Watkins, Executive VP and Chief Marketing Officer at Fiserv, said, “This is one of the best films I’ve seen in my career. It was thought-provoking, elevated in its storytelling and it made you take a breath at the end.”
Gun Survivor Reviews | Guns Down America | Energy BBDO, Chicago | 2022
Also bringing awareness to gun violence, this series of YouTube videos mimicked online firearm reviews before segueing into a shocking account from a gun violence victim. The conversation starter attracted more than 345,000 impressions, as well as support from politicians and anti-gun influencers. It illustrates how to imitate a specific format to intercept potential buyers.
The Homecoming | Home Centre | Leo Burnett, Dubai | 2023
Middle Eastern furniture brand Home Centre challenged the region’s taboo around adoption with a film following an ‘expecting’ couple – only to reveal they were adopting, not giving birth. The campaign reached 65% of the region, generated 1.2bn impressions and shifted public sentiment to 82% positive, helping orphaned children find families. It shows how to disarm audiences with a comfortable narrative, before nudging them to confront their stigma.
WoMen’s Football | Orange | Marcel Paris | 2024
The French men’s football team shows off its best moves in this compilation from Orange. Except it’s not ‘Les Bleus’, but women players disguised through visual effects. It attracted 2bn impressions and more than 200m organic views. After the campaign won the Grand Prix at Eurobest in 2023, Film Jury President Kate Stanners, Chairwoman and Global Chief Creative Officer, Saatchi & Saatchi, said: “This took a fresh approach to storytelling by revealing the trickery within the piece. That felt very appropriate for a tech business like Orange.”
Heroes of Today Part 2. Intolerance Is Still There | Heroes Of Today Platform | DDB Spain, Madrid | 2021
Set during the 1969 Stonewall Inn riots in New York, this film features a digitally reconstructed gay footballer who was murdered for coming out. The twist? The crime actually happened in 2007. Showing how to highlight ongoing intolerance by putting it in the perspective of history, it generated 226m impacts and was bought by entertainment companies to show as cinematic content.
