Make Them Feel Something: How Creative Strategy Shapes Buyer Psychology
By Doug Eaddy
To influence people to buy your products, they need to feel something. This is where branding and promotional creativity comes in. You are not simply selling a product; you are selling a narrative, a lifestyle, and emotions. Exceptional brands don’t just simply market, they build relationships, and the AIDA model (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action) explains how this relationship works in practice.
Adidas & AIDA: A Playbook for Brand Psychology
When it comes to the “Original Impossible” Adidas ad with Patrick Mahomes, it establishes itself as being more than a commercial. It is a great example in Brand Psychology that uses the AIDA model to shape how a consumer thinks and acts towards a brand. Let’s break it down.
Attention: Instant Grab of the Viewer’s Eye
The ad opens with engaging shots of young children doing various activities and sports. For some, the first attempts seem to be really challenging for them. But, with that imagery itself it is interesting because everyone can understand how tough it is to try new things, which makes it relatable. This also gives a sense of nostalgia because everyone can remember their own struggles from a younger age.
Interest: Telling a story to connect with the audience
The ad captures interest by placing these moments in and around Mahomes’ athleticism. The ad points out that everyone started somewhere, even those like Mahomes. This is where powerful advertising overshadows traditional marketing. It not only offers a product, but also promotes a certain ideology, which we’ll talk about in the section “Action.”
Desire: Making Them Want More and More
The story transforms with the music into a wishful desire by showing how hard work and persistence can turn an impossibility into an accomplishment. Viewers are encouraged to associate their Adidas products with this process and support the brand about overcoming obstacles.
The call to purchase is more of a suggestion than a direct command like “Buy Now.” In the end, the commercial encourages the audience to adopt the “Impossible Is Nothing” ideology. Giving the viewer the buyer’s freedom to interact with the brand either through consumption or a mindset Adidas invites viewers to be apart from something that is bigger than them because the commercial made them feel something.
What This Means for Your Brand?
1. Tell a Story: Aim for More Than Just Advertising the Product
Most people will not remember an advertisement, but people do remember how the advertisement made them feel. Rather than just showcasing the shoes, Adidas focuses on a universal story of struggle and perseverance. Your brand should focus on the audience’s journey and make your brand the tool that helps them reach their goals.
2. Make It Personal: Connect with Your Audience Emotionally
Great advertisements make the audience picture themselves as part of the story. By showcasing the kids struggling and Mahomes overcoming those hurdles this accomplished relatability and aspiration. Your brand should clearly address issues and validate the audience’s emotions with hope, courage, and inspiration.
3. Guide Them to Act: Move Them from Inspiration to Engagement
As I mentioned earlier, Adidas didn’t do a hard sell. They invited every consumer into a movement. By ending with “Impossible Is Nothing,” this helped build Adidas’s ethos about mindset and philosophy, not merely shoe sales. Thus, your call to action should make customers willingly engage, not feel forced to purchase something.
In all, if it wasn’t for the AIDA model Adidas would have missed a great opportunity to resonate with its viewers. However, with every interaction with the brand, it should influence the customer to decide, regardless of if they are purchasing, signing up, or engaging with your content. When used properly, AIDA makes passive viewers transform into active loyal buyers.
If your creative work does not affect the psychology of your buyers, then it’s simply noise. To be noticed, MAKE THEM FEEL SOMETHING.
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