What makes a commercial memorable and effective?

This is obviously a personal question and related to a large extent on your own interests, perceptions and background.

However there are certain types of advertisements that are more likely to be remembered over others. Two keys to memorable advertisements are humour and unconventionality.

Humour: If an advertisement makes me laugh out loud, I am more likely to remember it.

Unconventional: If an advertisement is unusual or strange even, it stands out. Anything conventional is likely to be lost in a sea of other conventional advertisements.

Here is a great example of an unconventional and humourous advertisement:

Pepsi’s “Test Drive”

It certainly made me laugh and its clever use of the product as a hidden camera makes sure you don’t forget what the advertisement is trying to sell.

There has been conjecture that this ‘commercial’ was a complete set up. Whether this is true or not is beside the point. The advertisement has caused a huge talking point, both in regards to the stunt itself and also whether it is fake or not. This is demonstrated by its 39 million views on YouTube! The discussion and exposure generated is a huge win for the company.

The success of this Pepsi advertisement really highlights the effectiveness of using unconventional and humourous methods in promoting a product.