Mythbuster: The appeal of reality advertising

Les Binet and Sarah Carter

This article discusses the value of using real or ordinary people in ads, arguing that unless there is an emotional message, real people are not persuasive.

Mythbuster: The appeal of reality advertising

Les Binet and Sarah Carteradam&eveDDB

Les Binet and Sarah Carter get a little bit angry about some of the nonsense they hear around them… like the appeal of reality advertising.

Recently, we attended an advertising research debrief for a 'functional food' brand. This kind of brand is rarely encountered – the product had a real and valuable functional benefit. It was scientifically proven to 'correct' a common medical issue. The campaign featured real people who had used this brand, talking enthusiastically about how well it had worked. In theory, this campaign should have...

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