Yes, we often become jaded to advertising and feel the need to shout “stick it to the man” every time we put on the TV, open a magazine or listen to the radio. But apart from those annoying pop-up ads on how to lose belly fat in 3 minutes, by tugging on the heartstrings (and wallets), advertising has become one of the best mediums to get people aware of social issues. Here are 5 Adverts Guaranteed To Make You Feel Something.
1. Superhero: I Want to Be, Thai Life Insurance
Who would’ve thought something as boring as an insurance advert would make you want to cry your eyes out? This touching story of a little boy’s superhero is something that truly reflects the unfortunate consequences of life’s accidents, but more importantly the love a child has for their parent.
2. Choose Beautiful, Dove
A concern that has plagued society for years is the fact that women don’t see their worth, and disregard their beauty because of the world’s unachievable standards. This simple, yet incredible, advert for Dove taps into the reality that women don’t see themselves as beautiful.
3. Love Has No Labels, Ad Council
Okay, I dare you to watch this ad and not have happy tears streaming down your face. The world at the moment is so full of hate and fear that we need to remember the power that love has. Love has no gender, no religion, no disability, no age limit, and no race.
4. Breathless Choir, Phillips
We often take singing in the shower for granted, but for some people they’ve had to give up their joy and their talent because they can’t breathe properly on their own. This beautiful advert by Ogilvy London got 18 strangers together, all with chronic respiratory conditions, to learn how to sing again.
5. Friends Furever, Android
This advert for Android went viral in 2015 because of its strong message. We’re not all the same, but that doesn’t mean we can’t live together and love one another. This is a truly powerful message our world needs to be reminded about. Grab the tissues for this one.
BONUS (less tears, more awareness):
#ManBoobs4Boobs, The Breast Cancer Health Movement
One of the controversial restrictions on the Internet, and more so apps like Instagram and Facebook, is that women’s naked breasts are not allowed to be displayed online. For years, companies and tutorial videos have had to use diagrams, objects, or T-shirts to show women how to check for breast cancer, but this brilliant advert worked around the censorship.
