Advertising Trends 2024

From storytelling to music-centric commercials to pop-culture meshing with brands to nostalgia, the commercial space is evolving in clever ways. Even as our attention span plummets to 8.25 seconds, perhaps there’s hope through creativity.

In this week’s blog, I will explore these different trends through analyzing car commercials, CPG brands, and athleisure brands. There have been big shifts happening in these industries as consumers want to connect to a brand on an emotional level more than ever before. As we are constantly bombarded with advertisements today while we are casually browsing the internet or walking down the street, it’s extremely difficult to catch someone’s attention. Not only are we seeing hundreds of ads a day, our minds 🧠 are being pulled in hundreds of different directions throughout our daily lives. Nowadays, commercials are viewed even less as most streaming platforms allow users to pay for ad free versions or viewers are simply browsing their phones if they god forbid have to suffer through an ad while watching TV (I don’t blame them). So when a commercial does catch a viewer’s attention, it’s definitely an accomplishment and nod to the brand’s creativity.

So, how many people are even seeing commercials anymore? From a 2023 US study, 72.2 million people are paying for cable as compared to the 80.13 Netflix subscribers alone. Since Americans spend an average of $46 dollars on streaming services per month, most households are paying for 2.9 subscriptions at a time. Out of the 99% of US households that subscribe, 50% pay for an ad-free subscription. That leaves ≅166,650 thousand people who are viewing commercials through streaming platforms alone. This is not taking into account YouTube, social media, or marketing industry folks 🙋🏼‍♀️ who are researching via articles.

Top subscribers worldwide via Forbes.

Car Commercials

If you’re anything like me, you have a love hate relationship with car commercials. Even as I’m writing this, I’m picturing a stereotypical commercial of a car 🚗 driving through uneven terrain, through puddles (with a slow-mo camera pan of water never hitting the car), cutting to the interior that is pristine and technologically advanced. Not to mention, the exceptionally beautiful individual driving the vehicle whose voice is whispering to me as if they’re trying to take me to bed.

What does this version of the car commercial say to the consumer? That cars will make you feel invincible, feel powerful, feel radiant. Is this all going to happen when you buy a car? Absolutely not. But the advertisers have the formula down for what they know people want, or rather what they aspire to become.

Earlier this month, Toyota came out with two commercials featuring their new all-hybrid Camry. The first showcases a story of three friends driving around, what looks like California, with three different activity ideas to attend that evening. The car veers off in three different directions as three different possibilities for their evening emerges, cleverly tying in the word ‘hybrid’—the offspring of two things or the mix of elements. The soundtrack is “Do You Wanna Dance?” - by the Ramones, a nod to pop culture. Not only are they showcasing inclusivity through their casting, they are representing a realistic story for how one chooses to use a car as a mode of transportation while emphasizing sustainability.

The second commercial features a Puerto Rican musician, Alejo, singing an original song about the Toyota Camry. The commercial is really a music video 🎶, it just happens to be about a car. By combining a commercial with a music video, the brand is reaching a wider audience as well as tapping into an emerging market. This advertisement will be primarily showcased across social media channels, another nod to the brand knowing their audience.

During the Super Bowl earlier this year, Christopher Walken was featured in a BMW commercial, similarly showcasing their electric model. While the Super Bowl commercials are known for using celebrities in their ads, this ad was distinct in that it lightly roasted the celeb by inserting other famous people to poke fun at Christopher’s distinct voice. Using humor always works and the message at the end of the commercial rings true to the story: “There’s only one Christopher Walken, and only one ultimate driving machine.” Again, the ad taps into the emotion of the consumer, to feel unique.

Toyota’s overall focus on electric vehicles seems to be paying off. In the US last year, they sold 2.2 million electric vehicles, coming in just under General Motors. This year, 83% of sales have come from hybrids and plug-in cars. Since this data was collected prior to these ads, one can only guess how well their hybrid sales will continue to be over the next half of 2024. BMW follows closely behind with their efforts to focus heavily on all-electric cars by 2027.

Elon Musk may just need to develop a catchy commercial next to stay competitive in the space…

BMW Electric cars being made via New York Times.

CPG Space

Switching gears :) let’s explore trends in the consumer packaged goods space. Many of these ads are usually colorful, featuring candy brands, sodas, and even baby products. Think M&Ms, Coca Cola, and Charmin’. All three have distinct commercial styles that are memorable for their formulaic story, slogan, and filming style.

But the CPG ad space is changing as well. Let’s look at JIF, the peanut butter 🥜 brand. This year alone they have launched two iconic commercials. The first was during the Super Bowl, taking a page out of the countless ‘pull at your heartstrings’ commercials that are often for nonprofits such as the ASPCA, the commercial centered around celery. Yes, that celery. Using the famous chicken wing game time snack to their advantage as a storyline, they create a sense of nostalgia by reminding viewers of a popular childhood snack—and also a healthy one.

The second features Gerri from ‘Succession’ completing a successful merger of peanut butter and chocolate 🍫, their new product. Through memorable storytelling, a pop-culture reference, and a nod to nostalgia for the beloved TV show through the ominous background music as well as a nod to a favorite childhood spread, the brand once again accomplishes commercial excellence.

Purely Elizabeth, the granola brand, recently launched their first large-scale campaign ‘ Savor The Start.’ The commercial features a man taking the first bite of his breakfast, showcasing how one small choice can result in major changes. The storyline is a nod to the brand’s functional benefits, superfoods, as well as the emotional benefit, a sense of fulfillment through lifestyle choices.

Lastly, Oreo’s ‘The Twist of an Oreo Could Change Everything,’ commercial during the Super Bowl was a memorable and humorous take on flipping a coin to make decisions. Following monumental moments throughout history, Oreos were there (all along!) making the decisions for us. Once again, storytelling, nostalgia, and pop-culture all come into play here. Snack brands are really having a moment!

While it’s unclear the direct affect these ads had on sales, both JIF and Oreo are doing extremely well this quarter. Oreo’s significant increase in sales from Q4 to Q1 this year could be in direct correlation with the success of their Super Bowl commercial, however, JIF’s sales are unclear as their ‘merger’ ad recently aired. It’s too soon to tell what effect Purely Elizabeth’s campaign will have on their numbers.

Purely Elizabeth billboard via Marketing Dive.

Athleisure Brands

Sustainability is in. Celebrity endorsements are in. Inclusivity is in. When it comes to athleisure brands, they are trending when it comes to branding. As far as marketing goes, let’s take a look at a few commercials that are changing the game.

The just launched On Clouds campaign featuring Zendaya is certainly catching attention. Her multi-year partnership will 💯 propel the brand to new heights. The commercial also has a music video type feel showcasing individuals in synchronized movements as Zendaya’s voiceover emphasizes the power of community through the trials and errors of athleticism. ‘Win. Lose. Fail. Try Again. Together.’ Her words punctuate throughout the campaign along with the music, taking a nod from the simplicity of other athleisure commercials such as Nike’s famous, ‘Just Do It,’ line. I wonder if her recent feature film, Challengers, had anything to do with the partnership 🤔.

Zendaya’s new campaign for On Clouds.

Speaking of Nike, their recent campaign takes on a nostalgic feel as an athlete runs 🏃‍♀️to tryouts with minutes to spare, scaling buildings and passing celebrities (Billie Eilish watering flowers?!) on the way with an 80s film feel. Without words, this commercial also becomes centered around the music. This ad tells a story while including pop-culture references to create a memorable campaign.

Alo recently filmed a commercial with the Blackpink singer, Jisoo, once again using a pop-culture moment to propel the brand’s reputation. The commercial takes on a vlog type feel, as if we’re on set with Jisoo, as she talks about what the brand means to her in Korean—emphasizing inclusivity and market expansion.

All three of these commercials take on a different feel while heavily focusing on pop-culture, telling us that the target audience of these brands care more if their favorite celebs are sporting these brands themselves. As far as numbers go, Nike is definitely taking a hit as up and coming brands such as On Clouds and Alo grow. It’s clear On Clouds and Alo are having successful years if they are able to secure paid partnerships with big-time celebrities as well.

Conclusion

Out are the mundane, formulaic car commercials. Out are the quick and flashy snack commercials. Out are the athlete-only focused commercials. In are unique, relatable storylines. In are pop-culture references. In is nostalgia. In is music-centric.

These trends are definitely becoming more prevalent throughout marketing campaigns as brands fight for our attention. It will certainly be interesting to see how these brands transform over the next several years and what brands will alter their efforts based on these trends.

What do you think of these trends? Do you like where the advertising space is going? Comment below!

Liana ✨ 🦋 🪩

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams - Eleanor Roosevelt