Emotional Connections, Transgenerational Appeal

S Use music to connect to boomers. Whether it is Elton John’s “Rocket Man” in an AT&T commercial about a father who travels a lot for work and misses his family, or Steppenwolf ’s “Born to be Wild” in a recent Valvoline ad, classic rock connects with boomers. Some evoke a tear; some cause even the most staid executive to play a little air guitar; all bring attention to the brand being advertised. “Using a rock song that boomers already love in an ad allows products to piggyback on established emotional connections and connect with customers,” says Eric Steinhauser, vice president of J. Walter Thompson. “Breaking through the clutter is easier when they not only recognize the music but relate to it and become actively involved with it.” The power of music is massive. It enters the minds of consumers peripherally, without the filter of thinking about direct claims featured in the advertisement. Classic rock songs serve as extrasensory connectors between memories and associations stored in consumers’ minds, relating the connections to new products or ads. This makes acceptance of an ad’s message more likely, writing the brand indelibly into the minds of consumers, to be retrieved as they drive by stores or choose brands within the stores.

S Use transgenerational appeal. The best of rockers reach across the ages with a transgenerational appeal. You see it most vividly in the appeal of Elton John, Aerosmith, and the Stones, but it is omnipresent in the bands described in this article. They’ve found the sounds and emotional appeals that transcend cultural values and ages. That’s what boomers want. Whether they are dining, traveling, or shopping, they like to be able to do it with their children and their parents and sometimes both. This is changing the way winning firms configure stores and advertise products.