After reading a recent article on Adweek showing off the best commercials of 2011 (here), I realized that there were principles we can learn from in these commercials and promotional pieces from brands like Volkswagen, Snickers and Google.  Now these are expensive commercials with high production standards, but I believe any business, small or large, can create creative, engaging, impacting video.

In Part 1 we looked at what I learned about Storytelling; the different kinds of short stories told around a brand or business.  Yet in their storytelling, the top brands of this past year did something else to make sure their advertisments were a home run.

lesson two| do the unexpected

The unexpected or wow factor

Safe = boring = forgettable.  These brands caught me off guard with something in their production.  Whether it was the story that Snickers told about sharks in a focus group, the excellent visuals in Chipotle’s stop motion and Chrysler’s intimate shots of Detroit, or the plain weirdness of Cravendale’s cats with thumbs and Canal’s walking bearskin rug.  Something has to stick out, otherwise the video is lost in the noise.  This is where creativity is needed.  Brands need set themselves apart from other brands.  However, they did this without losing the second point.

Simplicity

All these ideas are simple.  Perhaps not in execution, but absolutely in concept.  A simple concept means a simple message that is clear to the viewer by the end of the video.  I’m sure you’ve seen commercials or promotional videos where the point or message was unclear.  These big brands didn’t list of all the features and benefits of using their product, they sold us through one simple, clear message guided by the the overarching brand message.

A punchline

Part of being memorable is giving your audience something that is emotionally satisfying near the end - a punchline, if you will.  There needs to be a payoff for watching the first 20 seconds.  Each of these big brands left me satisfied at the end of the ad.  Whether it was a chuckle or a tear in my eye, I wasn’t left wanting more.  They all left an emotionally positive perspective on the brand.  There is a time and place for a list of features and benefits, but so many promotional videos or commercials lack this punch.  Yet it is necessary for the video to be memorable.

What commercials have been memorable for you over the years?