Is ‘short and sweet’ always the way to go in advertising?

Published September 20, 2013 at 7:33 am

Marketing campaigns are often trying to find the best, most direct ways to explain a product or service to customers quickly. In terms of television commercials, direct mail campaigns or even mobile ads, consumers are thought to have short attention spans.

Why read 300 words when they can read 150? Will a three-minute commercial really hold a viewer’s attention? Nah, let’s just make another 30-second TV spot. Or even a six-second Vine ad.

Well, according to Guinness and Extra Gum, the storytelling market is an ample area for companies to delve into.

Guinness’ latest beer commercial shows a group of men in wheelchairs playing basketball. The game is intense and the ad features plenty of slow motion rim shots. After close to one minute, all but one of the men stand up and walk away, revealing that they were playing to include a friend with a physical disability.

Business Insider explains the new approach perfectly, saying that beer commercials tend to focus on men who lack feelings and want to hook up with attractive women and watch sports.

“But a poignant new ad from Guinness flips the switch by presenting a group of athletic, beer-drinking men who are defined as much by their kindness as their physical strength,” the article said.

Extra Gum took a similar approach, and told its audience a story, explaining how its product can bring people together. Extra’s ad depicts a dad who would fold cranes out of gum wrappers for his daughter. As she grows up, the dad begins to think they’re growing apart. However, as he helps her pack for college, a dropped box reveals that she has in fact saved every single crane.

The right marketing campaign can vary in length, but the key is to target your audience and tell them why investing in your product or service can positively impact their lives.