{"id":5319,"date":"2018-12-03T15:03:22","date_gmt":"2018-12-03T15:03:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thesocialelement.agency\/?p=5319"},"modified":"2020-10-21T10:48:12","modified_gmt":"2020-10-21T10:48:12","slug":"what-makes-a-christmas-ad-go-viral","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesocialelement.agency\/what-makes-a-christmas-ad-go-viral","title":{"rendered":"What makes a Christmas ad go viral?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Much has been written about the anticipation around the big retailers\u2019 Christmas ads; whether we love or hate them, a brilliant one can set the nation on fire.<\/span>
\nBut what is it that actually makes a Christmas ad go viral?<\/span>
\n <\/p>\n

Why we share content<\/i><\/b><\/h2>\n

To understand this, it\u2019s worth exploring what usually drives us to share posts on social media. The New York Times\u2019 <\/span>study<\/span><\/a> with Latitude Research and the Customer Insight Group identified five main reasons:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  • To share entertaining content with other people<\/span><\/li>\n
  • To help define ourselves in the eyes of others<\/span><\/li>\n
  • To strengthen our relationships<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Because it makes us feel good<\/span><\/li>\n
  • To let people know about an important cause or a brand<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    It\u2019s also about how the content makes us feel. One 2014 study by the PeerJ Computer Science journal, discovered that we\u2019re much more likely to share <\/span>positive content<\/span><\/a>: something that inspires positive emotions or motivates us to act in a positive way. <\/span>
    \nAs Maya Angelou famously said: \u201cpeople will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel\u201d. The Christmas adverts that get people talking are ones that demand our attention and make us <\/span>feel<\/span><\/i> something.<\/span>
    \n <\/p>\n

    How brands have harnessed positive emotions to power their ads<\/i><\/b><\/h2>\n

    1. Twitter\u2019s use of humour <\/b><\/h3>\n

    Twitter\u2019s 2018 Christmas advert featured Twitter legend, John Lewis (the other one). It showed him diligently working away at directing confused Twitter users to the UK retailer\u2019s Twitter account as they tried to sort out their Christmas shopping.<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n

    Introducing the 2018 Twitter UK Christmas film, starring the unmistakable @JohnLewis<\/a>..#NotARetailStore<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/O32CDkbwm0<\/a><\/p>\n

    \u2014 Twitter UK (@TwitterUK) November 19, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n