6 emotionally engaging ads that tugged at SG consumers' heartstrings in 2021

In 2021, consumers grappled with finding a sense of normalcy after a distressing 2020. In response, brands released holiday advertisements that sought to uplift spirits and veer away from the pandemic-focused ads that were ubiquitous in the previous year. According to Unruly, a recurring theme among all the top ads in 2021 was a play on nostalgia. In fact, most of the top ads adopted elements of nostalgia as an emotional driver. 

“It is important, more so now than ever, for brands and advertisers to better understand how their ads will resonate with audiences, and how effective they are at driving key business metrics like brand recall, purchase intent and brand favorability,” said Unruly's senior VP of global strategy, Greg Fournier. 

According to Fournier, many brands have chosen to depart from overt COVID-19 themes and instead depict new-normal ways of life, who added:

Notably, brands have also chosen to reflect diversity in their ads this year, not just ethnically but also generationally, with characters and families from all walks of life and ages.

"On the flip side, ads that lack narrative, without any stories to tell, performed poorly. Ads that lack narration were also less well-received, with consumers finding it harder to understand the messages and relate on an emotional level,” Fournier explained. 

Here are the top six ads in Singapore that ranked the highest in terms of positive emotional engagement that went above the country's average. 

1. IKEA

This year, IKEA’s ad took the top spot. The brand wanted to spread the message of "connecting with loved ones" over the dinner table, regardless of how near or far they were. The positive emotional engagement for this ad was 65.3% above the Singapore average.

2. Pizza Hut 

Pizza Hut’s “Christmas Cheesy Bites 2021” tok second place, amassing 51.5% of positive emotional engagement above the national average, for its cheeky narrative that resonates with the holiday traditions of gifting and feasting.

3. Uniqlo 

Uniqlo’s “Gifts For All - Wrap Each Other In Love” highlighted the joyfulness of the Christmas season. Additionally, it also aimed to provide gift ideas for consumers from all walks of life. The positive emotional engagement for this ad was 50.2% above national average.

4. McDonald's 

Being a fast-food chain, McDonald's often comes up with new menu items to entice its consumers. This festive season, McDonald's went with an "Angus Mushroom Supreme", and said it was a "gift that will satisfy every craving". With this ad, McDonald's managed to score 45.2%. 

5. Foodpanda 

This festive season, foodpanda released an ad on drivers who were making round trips, delivering presents to different households. The ad managed to earn foodpanda a rank in the list, with a score of 43.3%. 

6. Huawei 

Huawei celebrates Christmas with its latest ad, featuring various electronic devices, aiming to provide gift ideas for consumers. The ad came in with a score of 13.6%. 

Unruly analysed the emotional responses of consumers around the world to over 50 global festive ads released this year using its content measurement tool, UnrulyEQ, which helps advertisers maximise the impact of their video content across multiple screens to more effectively land brand metrics and target receptive audiences at scale. Ads were ranked on the intensity of emotional response, taking into account the normal levels of emotional response in each market to give a fair global comparison. 

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