Ad Of The Month

We’ve all seen heartwarming ads based on true stories, or starring real people. But in this month’s Ad Of The Month for Brazil, cosmetics brand O Boticário goes one better. Their Fathers Day ad, “Dia Dos Pais”, begins by dramatising the story of Marivado de Paula and his daughter Ana Cristina, then reveals the real father and daughter in a video message.

It creates one of the most unique emotional journeys we’ve seen in an ad – a second peak of surprise which then leads to a second surge in happiness. By telling the same story twice in the same ad, O Boticário have generated far greater emotional response.

Of course, you can only do this if you have an amazing story. Fortunately. O Boticário did. The real-life Marivado hit the headlines when he managed to use social media to crowdfund a cochlear implant to his hearing-impaired daughter, Ana Cristina, could hear better. The ad starts with that implant being fitted, and the child hearing her father properly for the first time. Already it’s creating plenty of joy in viewers.

But all is still not well – Ana Cristina feels that her implant makes her look different and tries to keep it covered up with her hair, clothes, or hats. To show his daughter that she’s not alone, Marivado takes an unusual step – he gets the image of an implant tattooed on his head, so now dad and daughter both have one.

It’s a great story, the kind any creative would be proud to write. And this is where the ad plays its best card – it’s based on real life, says the caption, and then the real Marivado and Ana Cristina appear. It immediately lifts the audience’s mood – if any of them were feeling suspicious or a bit manipulated, the authenticity of the story (and of the father’s love for his girl) is now beyond doubt.

This trick leads to a record Star Rating for a Brazilian Fathers’ Day ad – an excellent 4.7-Stars. Even though the ad does not feature O Boticário’s product range, a discreet logo makes sure branding is clear and the ad performs extremely well on Brand Fluency and short-term Spike Rating. And the message of the ad fits perfectly with Boticário’s positioning for Dads – that your value as a father is the love you put in. The exceptional emotional journey shows the idea resonates – and confirms that for some ads, if a story’s worth telling, it’s worth telling twice.