There has been a noticeable trend in advertising to focus on the happy that different brands can elicit. It makes sense when our larger social issues have been real downers (thinking about the economic downturn, among others). If I can be happy from drinking a Coca-Cola, if even for only a few minutes, that is a small cost item to help think happy thoughts. But have we reached a tipping point of happy overload?
When I think of happy, it is in a larger, broader sense. Focusing on the joy, fun, excitement, friendliness, etc. that is possible. This week two campaigns crossed my desk that made me wonder if we are going too far, trying to take people to a place that is not believable.
The first is for Carnival Cruise Lines. “The Moments That Matter” campaign curates the happy and fun images and video that people have shared in social media about their cruise experience. Carnival is trying to rebuild a brand that has experienced mishaps in the recent past that were shared, in part, through social media. Understandably, Carnival wants to highlight the best parts of the experiences they provide.
The other campaign is how United Airlines is reinterpreting their “Fly the Friendly Skies” tagline. The brand seeks to be more “flyer-friendly.” One spot even features musicians playing “Rhapsody in Blue” while seated in a plane. The airline industry overall has been experiencing difficulty and I can understand trying to stand out, but with musicians? I’m not sure enough people have forgotten how “United Breaks Guitars.”
In stark contrast, last week everyone was talking about Chipotle and their latest video about a scarecrow. It’s not happy. In fact, the video brought tears of sadness to the eyes of at least some of my Facebook friends. The end of the video offers hope in an alternative that Chipotle feels they are part of. Not being happy has already gained over six million views of the video and many people talking about it in different ways.
Is the success of Chipotle’s Scarecrow a sign that we have reached happy overload? I don’t think so. I think people long for authenticity. If happiness comes from authenticity, people will respond to it. A fabricated or less sincere form of happiness will probably feel just like what it is, an attempt to connect with something bigger that many will dismiss.
