The goal of any advertising campaign is persuasion. Ads are designed to undertake some action, whether to buy a product or vote for a politician. In all ad campaigns, there are persuasive elements that can be built using different techniques. Some are subtle, others are more direct. To persuade you need to be clear about the message being sent. The message must be conscious, intentional and planned.
I would say that I am not an easy person to be persuaded by commercials, at least that’s what I want to think, however there is a campaign with a message that changed the way I am and had a huge impact on my life.
By direitoatual
This campaign is centred around a guy called Dave, a medium with an unique skill– reading people´s mind. He gave people in Belgium the opportunity to ask him personal advice and future possibilities for free. People were shocked because his comments were very accurate becoming almost scary. Suddenly a curtain is lowered revealing some masked people using the Internet to find out as much information about them. Following the act an impact message appears on a screen: “Your entire life is online. And it might be used against you. Be vigilant.”
Alright, I will not tell you more about the video. I’ll let you watch it.
The video was part of an Internet security campaign created by Febelfin, the Belgian federation for the financial sector, to raise awareness that demonstrates the dangers of sharing and storing information online.
What made this campaign a real example of persuasion is:
– Audience analysis – Targeting regular Internet users.
– Appeal to self-interest – A topic that appeals to almost everyone.
– Clarity of message – The message was clear, simple and strong.
– Channel – Video made it personal. It gave the emotional connection to the viewer.
It is certainly a very well done campaign that uses facts, illusion and a clear message—to “be vigilant” with the information we put online.
Today after almost 3 years from the release of this campaign the video has more than 50 millions views, translated in at least 15 languages and a message that still holds strong.
What campaign has made an impact in your life and why? Please leave your comments in the section below.
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