Doritos, Your Ad Sucks Compared to this One

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You've probably seen the Doritos Super Bowl commercial that scored highest among viewers. What does this Doritos ad do?   

Now imagine you're a writer, and you get this assignment: write a memorable safety belt ad. You've seen them. They're usually violent, ugly spots about how you'll end up terribly mangled if you don't wear a safety belt. What do you do? Do you work on outdoing other writers in the twisted metal department?

You could do that. Or, you could develop a completely different angle, one that will actually make an emotional connection with your viewers. Check out this UK ad commissioned by Sussex Safer Roads, and tell me what you think.

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What I like about this ad is that it does 3 things effectively:

1. It shows the violence of a car crash without being violent

2. It makes its core point effectively: seat belts can save your life

3. And it packs an emotional subtext: do it because your family loves you

That's a powerful combination -- logic and emotion. It's much longer than the Doritos ad, of course (Doritos is a :30, this is 1:30). They have a bigger page on which to tell a story. But it's more than 3x as effective. 

It may be comparing apples to oranges a little.

An ad is supposed to communicate something, connect with people, and get them to change behavior. Which of these slice of life commercials connects? Which one is more integrated with the rest of the communications program? Which one has a crisper call to action?

© 2010 Valeria Maltoni. All rights reserved.

Comments

[Akash Sharma]

I just loved the 2nd one, I think the visual was logical enough to make the emotional connection which is usually done by the verbal part of an ad.
If we take a different look at it, this should not be called an ad but a valuable lesson embraced in a video.
Thanks a lot for sharing @Valeria

[Justin]

Wow. What a beautiful commercial. Great article. This spot inspires me to dream bigger for my own ad babies (I'm a Creative).

Side note: According to Doritos' Crash the Superbowl site, "House Rules" scored highest among viewers, and has twice as many views on YouTube as the spot mentioned above. Although minute and tangential, and though I agree that Doritos' own spots pale in comparison to all the amateur spot, "House Rules" is so dang funny it deserves its credit.

[KatFrench]

One of our designers was sending that UK spot around earlier this week. Really powerful.

On a similar note, I finally saw the Dodge Super Bowl ad that raised so much ire. While I didn't find it offensive, I found it ineffective. The men in the spot came across as resigned, sad sack whiners. So the point of the spot was, what? Buy this truck, so you too can be a whiny pushover whose only sense of joy and empowerment comes from ... driving a truck?

Just seemed like the opposite of what would speak to my dad and brothers-in-law, who are the target audience.

[Deni Kasrel]

Valeria,

So many commercials that run during the Super Bowl are mainly about winning the who had the best, funniest, most memorable (take your pick and could be all of 'em) ad contest, rather than trying to communicate a message that changes buyer behavior. Ad agencies are famous for making commercials that garner awards -- Clios and such -- but do little to boost the client's bottom line.

With Dorito's Super Bowl ad, aside from that goal (no pun intended, even though it was shown during a football game), it would seem the idea was to generate chatter about Dorito's, in whatever context -- in this case simply about the ad itself, not the product. So in that sense the ad is a success. But as you observe, this not likely to change behavior, except the behavior to vote on the ad for contest purposes.

The UK seat belt Safer Roads commerical delivers a message that is not simply about the ad itself -- though frankly is does some of that as well -- it tells a story. It is emotionally sensational, and connecs on a level that may elicit recall when getting in the car. It is artistically well done, too. Another means to help embed in one's head.

You are spot one here, the Safer Roads ad does have a more compelling call to action to change buyer/view behavior and thus better integrate with an marketing communications program.

[Rich Becker]

Valeria,

Funny. I was just writing about content association today. Although I was applying to lists and why they do not serve reader/student retention unless there is organized thought behind it, it applies here too.

Doritos creates a powerful link to the negative, including someone spitting them out and saying that's bad (we're unlikely to remember why they are spit out).

The second spot has some very stylized design elements that are very appealing. The embrace life concept doesn't link very well to the majority of the spot, but the ad is memorable in terms of delivering a single powerful message to wear seat belts.

So, yes, the second one is better.

However, there is an apples to oranges element beyond what you point out. One spot has to associate a product whereas the other does not. It's an easier task.

Best,
Rich

[Chris Bailey]

Wow, Valeria...all I can say is that the folks behind the Sussex Safer Roads ad hit a grand slam (or whatever might be the cricket equivalent). I'm not going to nitpick on the points between the two ad campaigns but only comment that the Sussex spot is probably one of the most emotionally-powerful ads I've seen in a while. Thank you for sharing it.

[Tommyismyname]

Beautiful commercial...

But I think you were right when you said it's like comparing apples to oranges.

I found the Doritos ad quite entertaining and a tad bit nonsensical, which I think works for it's target audiences: Stoners

The safety belt ad was a home run too though as it demands an emotional connection from it's viewers and does exactly what it is supposed to do.

The question I would pose to you then, is how would you create a "more connected" ad for Doritos and what do you think you would do differently were you in their position?

[Eric Williamson]

The Sussex Safer Roads spot is beautiful. As a father/ husband it chokes me up a little even though I have watched it several times at this point.

I think which one is more powerful is dependent on the person who is watching it, also upon the the environment that that person experiencing it.

To me; the Sussex spot is touching and nails the #1 thing that would get me to act differently or change a habit ...the thought of losing my family or the thought of putting my family in pain because of my mistake of no belt. To someone else (a single guy, not a father) they may not have this connection so this spot might impact them less.

Also ...we all watched the Sussex spot in the context of seeing it on this blog OR previously on another blog and not on TV in the middle of a game/ show/ etc. Would we have noticed the Sussex spot on TV with that length even if it was cut to a :60?

Either way, thanks for sharing the comparison. Love the Sussex spot, and I love your blog.

[NWGuy]

One item that hasn't been discussed yet is WHO is the ad for? My guess is that everybody commenting (myself included) is closer to the family in the Sussex ad than the "Stoner" that was mentioned as a target audience for the Doritos ad. Do you think the Sussex ad would have as much emotional impact on the other audience? Or would a different message have to be created to hit home with them?

Remember who we are conversing with and make sure that the context of the message will resonate with them. The principle of the message doesn't change but the way it is expressed may have to be different.

[Valeria Maltoni]

@Akash - I like how you put it "a valuable lesson embraced in a video".

@Justin - I will need to figure out which one was house rules from YouTube. I don't watch TV, especially the Super Bowl, and especially ads. The reason why "embrace life" caught my attention is that it's so unlike an ad :)

@Kat - when "clever" wins over practical, run!

@Deni - the story telling component of the ad is what makes an impression. You could forget everything about the ad, except for how it made you feel. And the message is deeply embedded in that.

@Rich - is a product ad harder? I think only in the context of the Super Bowl where companies focus more on the ad being funny and entertaining for its own sake than in winning sales. Both ads in the post ask for a choice a choice, buy Doritos and wear a seat belt. I agree with you that the chip hitting you may not be the best way to solicit business :)

@Chris - we agree, it's a powerful message and execution.

@Tommyismyname - while it's tempting to show off with a creative brief, I'm sure Doritos can afford a proper campaign. Since you ask the question, what would you suggest?

@Eric - thank you for stopping by and your kind words. I agree, context is very important to evaluate the viability of a message transmitted in a certain form. I wager it would have stood out amidst the crack pot stuff during the Super Bowl. The continuity from the game would have been the very last part: being thrown off is what the game is all about. Yes? Maybe not.

@Bruce - guess the question is if the Doritos Stoner ad is moving the needle, then. I must not be its intended audience as now I want to run as fast as I can away from the stuff. With context we have a couple of choices: we can build off it, or create it.