When Advertising started to make sense

There is one piece of advertising that will stick with me for the rest of my life.

It’s one thing to read an article covering the latest PR stunt or write an essay reviewing a controversial marketing campaign but it was entirely transformational experience for a marketing novice like me once I started assessing the marketing in my everyday life. At this point, having only taken my first course on marketing, I struggled to make a connection between the marketing I had been studying on pages to the marketing that was constantly being shoved right in front of my face. I tried my best to be more attentive to the advertising around me and hoped a symbolic eureka moment was to come.

This is the story of that:

Amidst my commute to a Friday night dinner reservation on the ever-so-packed tube down to Oxford Street, I had finally secured a seat with prime advertisement viewing. Conveniently located in my direct line of sight I noticed an ad for a Bible App and immediately chucked it to myself. I have no memory of when I first downloaded the Bible App and set notifications to send me daily bible quotes, but even worse, I can’t remember the last time I opened the app. For the past couple of years, these daily notifications would come and go; it got to the point that every time one popped up on my screen, I would make a mental note to turn it off. Having spent the last 21 years growing up, attending catholic school, and going to university to continue my passion for theology, I suddenly found myself a second year and no longer interested in that path. On this personal journey, I am still not sure where my beliefs lay, but to not dive into a deep philosophical debate what I do know is that religion continues to provide some sort of comfort for me. Yet for years, every day, like clockwork, a bible verse would get lost among my daily texts and reminders. Something as simple as turning the notifications off or deleting the app would’ve been so fast and easy. However, deep down, I know there was some part of me refraining from doing so.

That feeling preventing me from deleting the app was precisely what this ad invoked. It was as if the ad was placed there by God himself, but it was really just a genius marketer. While the punch of the joke is obvious, the strategy was profound to me. The marketers behind this ad not only correctly understood their audience but also were able to create a compelling story that so obviously caters directly to them. It’s not just about promoting an app; it’s about telling a story that aligns with right audience’s worldview.

Seth Godin’s eloquently titled book “This is Marketing” stresses that being a good marketer is all about observing and acting. People don’t make decisions in vacuums; we are deeply indebted to the world around us. Whether it’s to buying that new trendy pair of shoes to be a part of a tribe one can self-identity with or driving the most sustainable electric car so one can feel better about their contribution to climate change, when we consume there is always a driving decision factor behind it. The job of the marketer is to understand what that driving factor is and tell a story that poses their offering as conduit of change to achieve whatever it is one desires.

The genius behind the ad was its ability to tap into a shared human experience. The ad speaks to those who hold a specific worldview. It doesn’t target the devoutly religious or ambitiously aim to convert non-believers. The intended audience is those like me who still have some anchor to religion weighing on their actions. Whenever I went to turn off my daily quotes, I was reminded by the ingrained voice in my head to resist the temptations of busy everyday life and focus on growing in my faith.

By using a figure inherently opposed to the Bible’s message, there is great potential for those who still hold on to any shred of internalized fear and religious guilt to be captured by this ad in some way. The ad cuts through the noise of everyday advertising visualizing something/someone actively putting pressure on you, trying to device you, pulling you away from enlightenment. Do you remember what happen to Adam and Eve? Are you stupid enough to fall for it too?

Fear are common invokers of action not only for the human race in general but in particular for the religious folk. The ad capitalized on the internal conflicts of its consumers, using a mix of nostalgia, guilt, and the desire for self-improvement to create a compelling narrative. The Bible app poses itself as the solution to this conflict, as a way to maintain a connection to faith amidst the chaos of modern life.

While the ethical implications of using fear marketing tactics and the risk of light hearted copy disrespecting a sacred tradition are important concerns to note, that isn't the focus of my commentary. The effectiveness of this ad lies in its ability to connect emotionally with a specific audience segment. Whether or not the ad has directly led to increased app downloads or other ROI measurements is beyond my knowledge. However, I can hypothesize that their funnel got top-heavier. Although loyal customers remain the best for the app, this ad is a step in the right direction towards salience and increased brand awareness for more attainable consumers - those with a unique disposition to have an emotional response to this ad and respond by taking action.

For me, it took an instance of realizing how much marketing can speak to my personal experiences to truly see the art of observation and storytelling. Advertising is about seeing the world through the eyes of the consumer and crafting messages that resonate on a deeper level, driving not just awareness but inspiring genuine engagement and action. Once I saw it, there was no undoing it. Now, everywhere I look, I immediately put myself in the intended audience's shoes. What are their hopes and dreams? What do they care about? When you have answers like this, using clever humour and relatable sentiments to convey a message allows you to speak directly to those whose attention you wish to capture.