Today, many advertising campaigns refer to the widespread issues or trends of the modern world. The advertisement “Followers” by Miller Lite is not an exception since it covers the problem of people’s dependency on social networks (Miller Lite, 2019). A video shows people running away from their Internet followers to meet their real-life friends in a more colorful and pleasant atmosphere. This short advertisement is not only interesting to watch but also makes the viewer think about the influence of social media on our habits, communication, and relationships.
The first noticeable feature of the advertisement is that it corresponds to the principle of simplicity and conveys a clear message. Indeed, there are not many arguments that the company presents; however, it focuses on one specific idea, which is especially relevant today. Its message is expressed in the following statement: “A few friends are better than a few thousand followers” (Miller Lite, 2019, 00:01:20-00:01:23). Miller Lite encourages to value time spent in a company of close friends and focus on real friendship, rather than internet life.
According to the second sticky principle, the video keeps viewers intrigued until the very end. It is difficult to understand who the chasing people are until the message of the advertisement is revealed. Moreover, a viewer may expect the video to be entirely black and white; however, the unexpected change of color to bright and warm attracts attention and contributes to its major idea. Apart from the video, Miller Lite’s advertising campaign included encouraging people to “unfollow” their social media (Flanigan, 2019). With this risky move, the company tried to emphasize that social networks were originally designed to unite people, not separate them.
The message that appears at the end of the video is clear and memorable. The sensory information, such as the changing color and accelerating music, also contributes to the effectiveness of the idea. Some of the scenes, for example, people taking selfies in front of the falling building, convey obvious and undoubtful ideas about the indifference of people obsessed with social networks. Therefore, the whole video is rather vivid, gripping, and fully understandable.
Since the idea of people’s dependency on social media is well-known and relevant, it makes the advertisement credible. Trying to attract as many followers as possible is a popular trend among many bloggers and ordinary users of social networks. The advertisement does not use any numbers or statistics to convince the audience in its credibility. Instead, it appeals to the experience of people, since many individuals confirm being dependent on social media.
The principle of emotions is closely connected with the credibility of the advertisement. Today, social media promote the idea of popularity on the Internet, which makes users care more about their Facebook or Instagram accounts rather than friendship in real life. Moreover, in the rapidly developing world, when work and business often take a major part of life, and many people lack the warm and intimate atmosphere of meetings with old friends. Therefore, the advertisement mostly aims at young people, who are more subject to be dependent on social networks.
Finally, the vivid narration is another remarkable feature of the advertisement: Miller Lite tells its audience a story with characters and a happy end. Followers in the video are depicted as an impersonalized crowd wearing the same clothes. On the contrary, a company of friends is presented in warm colors; the atmosphere in the bar seems to be light and positive. Therefore, in a one-minute video, the company manages to address an important up-to-date issue, which makes the advertisement especially effective.
References
Flanigan, K. (2019). Want a free Miller Lite? You need to ‘unfollow’ the brand on social media first. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Web.
Miller Lite (2019). Followers. YouTube. Web.