Empathy. Different from sympathy, empathy has a more significant deep meaning. Empathy is where you feel what others feel, or in a simpler term: you become the person. When you become the person, you will have an idea of what the person goes through on a daily or in a certain situation. Empathy is a very important characteristic for someone in the creative team of an ad agency to have because with empathy, we can reach our target audience better and precise.
With empathy, your advertisements can exude certain emotions for the public or the viewer of the ad feels what you want to make them feel. The emotions can be either positive..or negative, depending on what product, issue and what you want them to feel in order for them to connect with your ad.
Empathy in an International ad:
The above ad or more specific, a public service announcement (PSA) for World Water Day 2013
IDEAS
(drought, insufficient, thirst)
CONCEPT
The concept they used in depicting insufficient of water is by illustrating it on a view of cracked dry soil where you will find in places of dry and hot climate. The cracked soil in the middle resembles a child begging for water with a water faucet on top. It depicts the desperation or the dire need of water fro them to nourish (the metaphor used is the dry cracked soil)
EMOTION
(Positive: needy, hopeful. Negative: dreadful, left out)
RATIONALE
Why do they use the metaphor of a dry cracked soil? Well of course, dehydrated soil if it is left with no water for a long time, it will be de-nourished, dry, and will have no capacity for it to bear any trees or plants. Same goes to a child/human, water is the basic nourishment that we need in order for us to live a healthy life and thus, without enough water, they will have problems with their health and could live for a shorter time and therefore the tagline: 'Bring water to their lives'. The people who are in need of water have hopes that someone would bring them some.
Empathy in a local ad:
The above is an ad for SPCA Malaysia
IDEAS
(adoption is fun, joy, companionship)
CONCEPT
A simple concept is used to depict the ideas where the ad portrays a little girl playing with an effigy made of little toys that resembles a cat.
EMOTIONS
(Positive: hyper, affection, playful)
RATIONALE
The cat is not portrayed as a normal cat is because they want to tell the public that a pet is not just a pet where you cuddle with them and as companions, pets are also playful with their never ending antics. Playful creatures like them deserve more attention because they offer more to us than just being there with us as our friend and companion. Therefore the metaphor of little toys, depicting that a pet is filled with 1001 wonders that will make their owner feel very happy and will have fun filled times with their pets.
When you dont empathise...you are not living
