What Commercial Video Producers Know About Emotion (That Most Don’t)

 

Think about the last commercial that genuinely grabbed you. Maybe it made you laugh out loud, tear up a little, or simply pause to think.

Why did it stick when thousands of others just fade into background noise?

As commercial video producers at Awakened Films, we’ve spent years analyzing and creating impactful content. One clear insight emerges from all the data and experience: Emotion isn’t just powerful—it’s essential.

 

Science Doesn’t Lie—Why Emotional Content Sticks

Neuroscience has proven repeatedly that our brains retain emotional content far better than facts alone. Jonah Berger, author of “Contagious: Why Things Catch On,” confirms this with his research, noting that emotionally charged content is three times more memorable and twice as likely to be shared.

And this isn’t abstract theory. Nielsen research revealed that ads with strong emotional engagement deliver a 23% increase in sales compared to standard advertisements. Coca-Cola mastered this years ago, turning sugary beverages into feelings of friendship and happiness. Dove built an entire brand identity around vulnerability and authentic beauty.

Emotion creates resonance, and resonance builds loyalty.

 

Beyond Tears and Laughter—Lessons From the Field

A Harvard Business Review study found that emotionally connected customers are more than twice as valuable as highly satisfied customers. They buy more products, exhibit less price sensitivity, and are more likely to recommend the brand.

Orajel came to us with a powerful challenge: connect with adults who suffer from dental pain but can’t afford regular care. This wasn’t about selling toothpaste—it was about creating empathy for a reality many people quietly live with every day.

Our team worked with the agency to develope a series short-form spots.  “Birthday” is centered around a man trying to hold it together at his own celebration while dealing with unbearable tooth pain that strikes at the wrong moment. At the height of his discomfort, time freezes—a creative visual cue that pulls the viewer into this moment of agony and isolation. But as Orajel brings relief, his life begins to move again, building trust with our audience.

It’s a subtle but emotionally charged reminder that one small moment of empathy can resonate with people in a powerful way. Orajel does’t just relieve pain, it offers a sense of control and dignity.

Watch the video below or read the full Orajel case study here →

 

This kind of response teaches us something critical: Authenticity beats theatrics every time. Emotion doesn’t mean overwhelming your audience; it means genuinely connecting.

 

The Top 3 Emotions That Consistently Boost Commercial Impact

A landmark IPA study analyzing 1,400 advertising campaigns over three decades showed that campaigns focused purely on emotional content were more than twice as likely to deliver large profit gains than those focused on rational content.

Not all emotions are created equal in advertising. Here are three that, from our experience, reliably increase engagement:

• Empathy: Great brands show audiences they understand them deeply. Empathy builds trust. And trust is the currency of the internet. For example, Nike’s advertisements don’t just showcase athletes; they reveal struggles, making the brand relatable to everyone who’s faced an obstacle (which is most of the humans on planet earth).
• Surprise: People remember what surprises them. Old Spice turned heads precisely because nobody expected that kind of humor from a men’s grooming brand. Surprise disrupts predictability and grabs attention.
• Inspiration: Inspirational ads tap into our desire to achieve, grow, and become better versions of ourselves. Think of Apple’s iconic “Think Different” campaign, which didn’t just sell computers—it encouraged people to embrace innovation.

 

Common Emotional Storytelling Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)

Antonio Damasio, neuroscientist and author of “Descartes’ Error: Emotion, Reason, and the Human Brain” has an interesting take on the connection between emotions and decisions. In fact, Damasio’s research might just be foundational in helping us understand why emotional storytelling works;

“Decision-making is impossible without emotion.”

Demasio describes the dramatic 1848 railroad accident case of Phineas Gage as well as data from multiple modern clinical cases. Again and again, he found that patients with damage to the emotional centers of the brain can recall facts but were unable to make even basic decisions. These damaging cognitive effects occured when feelings and reasoning become anatomically decoupled.

Emotion is not a layer added to messaging. It’s fundamental to how people process information and choose to act.

 

Brands frequently misunderstand emotional storytelling. Here’s how to avoid the pitfalls:

• Overdoing Sentimentality: If your emotion feels forced, it won’t resonate. Audiences detect manufactured sentiment from miles away. Keep it real; authentic emotion is subtle yet powerful.
• Mismatched Tone: Your emotion must align naturally with your brand’s identity and message. A whimsical campaign doesn’t fit a law firm’s serious reputation. Always check alignment before production.

Practical Steps to Infuse Emotion Into Your Campaign

As a seasoned commercial video producer, I use two main to ensure emotional resonance:

1. Invest in Audience Research: Clearly identify your audience’s emotional triggers. Are they driven by security, adventure, nostalgia, or hope?
2. Craft Stories, Not Just Ads: Narratives naturally evoke emotions. Rather than pushing products, frame your ad as a meaningful story.

 

Expert Tips from Commercial Video Producers to Nail Your Next Campaign

Most of the time, when a commercial falls flat, it’s not because the idea was bad—it’s because the execution didn’t match the intent. Here’s how we avoid that.

Start with Emotion, Not Execution
One of the biggest mistakes we see is teams getting caught up in production logistics before they’ve clarified the emotional intent. They’re talking about drones and timelines when they haven’t answered the most important question: What should the viewer feel at the end of this? Without that emotional anchor, creative decisions become scattered and the final piece ends up visually polished—but emotionally flat. Once you define the feeling—hope, urgency, pride, trust—you have a compass. That’s what shapes your script, your visuals, your pacing, and even your music choices. Every technical detail should serve that emotional goal, not distract from it.

Smart Brands Obsess Over the Pre-production
You can’t connect emotionally without knowing your audience. We should understand way more about our target audience than a simple demographic profile. What keeps your customers up at night? What’s motivating them right now given the social/political/business pressures? What stories already live in their heads? Social Listening: Monitor the conversations your target audience is already having online—on Reddit, X (Twitter), Instagram comments, Facebook groups, or industry forums. Look for language patterns, recurring frustrations, hopes, or emotional triggers. Tools like Brandwatch, Sprout Social, or even a manual scroll through comment sections can reveal more than a focus group ever could. Sales Team Insights: Tap into your client’s sales reps, support team, or account managers. Ask them what questions come up most often, where customers hesitate, and what objections they hear. Review Mining: Read reviews—not just of your own brand or product, but of your competitors and adjacent industries. Look for emotional language. A commercial video producers pre-production work will make the difference between guessing and knowing.

Collaborate Closely With Your Video Team
Treat your commercial video producer less like a vendor and more like a creative strategist. The earlier they’re involved in the process, the better the final product will be—not just visually, but strategically. We’ve seen too many campaigns where we’re handed a script that’s already locked, only to find it wasn’t written with the audience, format, or platform in mind. By then, it’s too late to course-correct without wasting time and money. Here’s the truth: A good video team doesn’t just think about how to make things look good. We’re thinking about how to frame your message so that it lands with your audience, moves them emotionally, and fits the goals you’ve set internally—whether that’s brand awareness, conversions, or reputation-building. But to do that, we need more than just a creative brief. We need to understand your friction points. What internal politics are shaping this? Are you trying to reach a new customer segment? Do you have one shot at getting this approved? The more honest the collaboration, the more aligned the creative will be, and that alignment is what separates forgettable content from campaigns that actually shift perception.

Don’t Be Afraid to Dial It Back
Some of the most powerful moments in commercial storytelling are the quietest. Not because they’re flashy or dramatic but because they make space. Space for the viewer to lean in, to reflect, to feel. It’s a counterintuitive truth, but when we give the audience just enough…just the look, the pause, the detail—they bring the rest. And that act of participation is what makes the moment stick. Over-directing emotion can have the opposite effect; if you telegraph too much (think; dramatic score, heavy narration, forced tears), it starts to feel manipulative. People don’t want to be told how to feel; they want to discover it for themselves. That’s where nuance comes in. We often advise clients to pull back in the edit: lose the extra line, cut the reaction shot, let the silence linger an extra second. It’s in those restrained beats that the work feels most human. Real emotion doesn’t need a spotlight. It just needs honesty—and the courage to leave room for interpretation.

Your Commercial Isn’t Just a Video—It’s a Story With a Job to Do

When it comes down to it, your audience doesn’t buy products. They buy the story those products tell about who they are or who they want to become. Donald Miller, author of Building a StoryBrand, says it plainly:

 

“People don’t buy the best products. They buy the ones they can understand the fastest.”

 

But understanding doesn’t mean data. It means emotion & feeling seen. The right commercial video producers don’t just describe your brand. It puts your audience in the middle of a moment they recognize—and makes them feel something real.

That’s why at Awakened Films, we don’t just shoot commercials…We craft brand stories built to connect, inspire, and move people to act. Stories rooted in truth. Told with purpose. Designed to work.

If you’re ready to stop producing forgettable content and start creating emotionally resonant campaigns that actually drive results, we’re ready to help.

 

Schedule Your Consultation With Awakened Films Today →