Common Sense or Emotion?

I'm a Stella, Heineken, and Modello sort of guy. It's all about taste for me. Stella also fits with my perfectionist personality. But it's not something I sit around and think about it all that much. So when I see those commercials with the Miller High Life delivery guy rant, I almost want to go out and buy a pack–well, almost. My own common sense kicks in and says, "It's still the same cheap beer your dad used to drink." But then again, I'm not the target demo for that beer. I have discriminating tastes, and lofty aspirations. Yet at the same time, there's a practical side of me that appreciates value, and the emotional power of this campaign taps into that hidden, unseen realm of pet peeves I harbor about inflation, excess, and wasteful spending. The delivery guy speaks to me, and inspires me to champion his cause. This is yet another Saatchi success. With Kevin Roberts and his Lovemark philosophy behind them, they understand what psychologists and sociologists have known all along. Your heart tells your brain what to do, not the other way around. This is also why I continue to believe that long-term emotional connections beat out short-term ROI for the vast majority of consumer goods and services. Consumers connect with and are persuaded by what's behind the brand, what's behind the promise.

This campaign also does a great job of relationship targeting. As I've always said, "know your customer," and matching your brand to a small group of consumers may be the most important thing a company could ever do. If you're the common man, (and most of us are) then these ads are scratching you right where you itch. In addition to being funny and a great piece of storytelling, the ad is the brand. High Life is an economical beer, and there is no reason to apologize for it. Instead, they embrace the mantra of the working man to perfection and make me want to follow. I know I'll eventually buy, and for reasons my head can't rationally explain. It's a heart thing.