It’s been a rough year for Facebook, but the social media mainstay is working to re-establish itself as a friendly, fun place for interpersonal communication. With its new ad, entitled “Here Together,” the brand has seen the highest growth in Ad Awareness of any brand in the last month, according to data from YouGov BrandIndex.
The commercials focus on the “social” element of the platform, with a voiceover declaring “We came here for the friends,” over shots of users’ pictures and profiles. “But then something happened,” the voice announces. “We had to deal with spam, clickbait, fake news, and data misuse. That’s going to change.”
When the commercial debuted on April 25, 18% of Americans had seen an ad for Facebook in the preceding two weeks. Six weeks later, on June 12, 28% of Americans had recently seen an ad.
The TV commercials are paired with billboard ads around the country, which promise that the platform is cracking down on things like fake news and clickbait. The campaign kicked off during the NBA Playoffs, and will continue through the summer, with the commercial also appearing in cinemas and on Facebook.
Facebook’s multi-platforms strategy will work well to reassure existing users. Data from YouGov Profiles shows that people who use Facebook at least once a day are more likely than the general public to say that they notice advertising on public transit (52% to 47%). They are also more likely than the general public (25% to 22%) to say they enjoy ads on TV.
