Are you a sucker for sadvertising?

Let’s be real for a sec: we all enjoy a tearjerker ad. Right? (Yes, yes you can read our review of the big JL Xmas ad here.) But the question is, why?

Whether it’s a cute-looking dog looking lonely, a Grandpa cracking open a fresh Dairy Milk with his carer, or the outsider kid at school hitting the back of the net on the football pitch, these we’re all in this together moments that hit you harder than a Zoom call at 9 am. For realz.

Time for a little science lesson. As it turns out, humans are emotional creatures. Who woulda thought it, hey? From making dramatic bargains with the big man upstairs when the WiFi cuts out mid-streaming, to squealing excitedly when the hero fights back, or ruining your mascara when your bestie walks down the aisle. We are in our feelings a lot more than we like to admit.

So naturally, advertising has taken advantage of us. Hehehe, classic Mr Advertising, what is he like? Enter the gut-punch, tear-jerker ads that hit us square in the chest – and make us buy, buy, buy.

Does’t quite have the same ring, does it? DAMN IT! But you catch my drift.

Yes, adverts that make you feel genuinely good do exist – you know the ones that make you feel warm and fuzzy, but don’t require you to cry – and they do also work.

In short, we need both. It’s called balance, darling.

So, what’s the best way to balance this emotional chaos?

Here’s our trick: Give your audience the feels they want to feel, not the ones you think they need.

Don’t force the sad: Successful sadvertising isn’t about making people cry for the sake of it. It’s about finding the emotional throughline that makes people feel something real – not forced. If you tell someone to cry, they’ll (probably) slap you.

Know your audience: Leveraging the right emotional language for your target audience is the key that unlocks good marketing. Do they want a good cry or are they gonna vibe a happy dance? Find out what truly resonates with your audience and tap into those emotions.

Be authentic: It’s easy to get lost in the pathos – and it’s even easier to blindly follow a popular trend, thinking it will work for you. But the best way to hit that emotional sweet spot is with something true to you. If your brand is fun, lean into that joy and humour. If it’s serious, then find ways to connect in a more meaningful, emotionally intelligent way.

Create content that connects: Sometimes, you need to go beyond the product. Your audience might not want to hear about your new features or ‘growing team,’ actually. But they do want to know you understand what they’re going through and that you get it. Think emotional connection over transactional push.

In the end, whether it’s sadvertising or happyvertising, the goal is clear: connect. People remember how you make them feel, and the most successful brands are the ones that can build that emotional bridge while still being authentic to their message.

So, do we encourage you to run headfirst into the world of emotional storytelling? Yes. Should you do it just to make people cry? Definitely not.

Want to talk about how we can make your brand hit the right emotional note? We’ll skip the tears and go straight to the fun part.

Drop us a message.

This is the perfect time to bring emotional storytelling into your holiday campaigns. Don’t wait for December!