People are hard-wired and hungry for human connection. Through creative storytelling, especially when it evokes emotion and comes through as genuine, brands resonate with audiences. We believe that pressure testing what it means to truly be human – to feel understood, to desire, to be inspired – will be the foundational element of successful campaigns in 2025.
Joy, Humor and Empathy
As Albert Einstein said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” While AI is knowledgeable, its creativity is derivative: It can only analyze and recombine existing data. A human’s imagination draws from personal experience, intuition, emotion and countless other shared human experiences. Nothing can make our heart swell like a belly laugh, family time or nostalgia. We all know people who eschew self-checkout lines for a cashier, on a call shouts “operator” instead of pressing 1, or forgo a convenient screen to smell a book. Agency creatives are inherently curious and observant about what moves people.
When we recognize human creativity as the counterbalance to AI, we can take concepting and ideation to a whole new level. According to University of Southern California research, 31% of advertising campaigns with emotional pull succeeded versus the 16% success of ads that focused on rational content – so use sentimental themes like love, pride and friendship to connect with audiences.
Copywriters and designers can push the boundaries of authenticity and raw emotion. Burger King’s “Bundles of Joy” campaign, while met with mixed reviews, does just that. Largescale portraits of women who’ve just delivered their newborns sit in hospital beds devouring triple-double cheeseburgers (because the first meal after childbirth stands out in their memory and is often a burger). Moms felt this campaign deeply – whether they liked it or not.
Consumers Want What AI Can Never Do
AI can dazzle and astound us – to a point. After all, when a customer service chatbot responds with “I’m sorry,” we know it doesn’t share our frustration. AI can’t understand and it doesn’t think; it certainly doesn’t feel. And it can’t create human connection. Only empathy, physical touch, authenticity, vulnerability and other human moments can do that. Brands should intuit the difference – and the opportunity.
“Connection is innately human. Marketing professionals, copywriters and designers have the power and expertise to first imagine and then execute in ways AI still cannot access. Harness this advantage because consumers want brands that look human, sound human and act human.”
LeeAnn Phillips
Creative Director