The Good and Bad of Advertising: What Makes an Ad Resonate?
What makes a good advertisement?
This is a question I constantly ponder as I observe countless ads every day.
When most people think of advertising, they likely imagine something that communicates a product's features and functions. For example, "This product can do these things," or "It's better than competitors in these ways". Of course, this is fundamental to advertising and undeniably necessary information.
However, I honestly don't believe such ads are very effective. Why? Because if all you're doing is explaining product features, people can simply look at a brochure or a web catalog. Is there really a need to use an advertisement for that?
Advertising should have a role beyond that.
Focus on the Experience, Not Just the Features
So, what exactly makes for effective advertising? One key aspect, in my view, is advertising told from the customer's perspective. Instead of a company explaining, "This feature does X", you should structure it to say, “Customers who have actually used this experience Y convenience”. This is what's known as "user-story type" advertising.
By highlighting how customers experience the product, the ad conveys an actual feeling, letting viewers imagine, “Maybe I could experience that, too”, fostering empathy.
However, even this kind of ad appeals mostly to logic. It speaks to only the left brain.
What Ads Appeal to the Right Brain?
So, what kind of advertisement appeals to the right brain — in other words, to our emotions and intuition?
Let’s take beer commercials, for example. You rarely see them focusing on brewing methods or ingredients in detail. Instead, they show scenes like:
- Friends laughing together by the beach at sunset
- That refreshing first sip after a long workday.
- A summer barbecue with family
In other words, they're not selling the product itself, but rather the experiences you gain by using it, and the happy memories you create with it.
This is a form of advertising that strongly appeals to the viewer's emotions. While drinking beer doesn’t guarantee happiness, the goal of the advertisement is to evoke that image and feeling.
People Buy With Emotion
Car advertisements are a great example of this. Rather than focusing on performance specs or price, they often show:
- Scenes of driving in that car
- Smiling families on a trip
- Quiet moments enjoying a night view with a partner
Through these images, viewers think: "I might be able to have these kinds of experiences if I drive this car". This is advertising that reaches the right brain.
The same applies to advertisements for fashion, luxury goods, and even home renovation. They often draw people in because of how it makes them feel or who it lets them become.
In Conclusion:
In essence, advertising isn't just about selling products; it's about selling dreams. A great ad goes beyond specs and features. Instead, it helps people imagine:
- How their life might change with the product
- The type of emotions they may feel
People don’t buy just because they want something. They buy because they see a version of themselves they want to be. That’s why effective advertising isn't about “information,” but about inspiration.
It's not about selling a product, but about telling a story that moves people.

Kenichi Uchikura
President / CEO
Pacific Software Publishing, Inc.
ken.uchikura@pspinc.com
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