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Short-form product demonstrations produced on Instagram’s Reels format can make for an effective pairing if a brand can convey new information and show how a product can meet people’s needs in an enjoyable way.
The format is a common one. Kantar data shows that just over three quarters of ads (76%) feature some kind of product demonstration.
But according to Lynne Deason, Kantar’s head of creative excellence, product demos have developed a “bad reputation”, despite how ubiquitous they are in the space.
However, she believes they can be “immensely powerful” when they are distinct and make the product feel meaningful to the consumer.
Take Magnum’s ASMR-based ad and Perfect Draft’s more traditional product demo. Despite taking very different approaches to the product demo format, both have been classed as highly effective, according to Kantar’s ‘The Works’ study.AB InBev: Categories outside of beer present ‘big’ growth opportunity
The study, which is produced in association with Marketing Week and the Advertising Association’s Trust Working Group, asks 750 consumers to give their thoughts on the top ads over the period, this time looking at Instagram ads.
Both Magnum and Perfect Draft scored highly for feeling ‘distinctive’, with Perfect Draft in the top 12% and Magnum in the top 16% of ads shown. They were also found to be highly ‘enjoyable’ – Perfect Draft was in the top 10% and Magnum the top 17%.
This is essential when it comes to social media, when ads need to have that ‘stopping power’ to engage viewers. Brands need to be able to “stop the scroll” in a sea of endless ad content which can often feel indistinct, notes Deason.
Perfect Draft
Perfect Draft’s ad is a “great example” of how to land product information in a relevant and engaging way, says Deason.
The ad is simple in its approach, in that it showcases how the Perfect Draft machine works, as well as its corresponding app. It is also very much in an Instagram-friendly format, with an attention-grabbing hook within the first five seconds and expressive delivery from the presenter.
As a result, the ad landed in the top 5% of all ads tested in the format for delivering newsworthy information and in the top 16% for meeting people’s needs. It also ranked in the top 14% in terms of the relevancy of what was shared.
Most impressively, Perfect Draft also managed to effectively build memory structures quickly, with 52% stating that they couldn’t forget the ad was for Perfect Draft.
The male presenter was also incredibly well received by viewers, landing in the top 3% of all UK digital ads tested for positive male portrayal.
Magnum
Magnum’s approach is also product demo-centric but instead focuses on the sensory aspect of enjoying their ice cream.
Capitalising on the ASMR trend and the product’s distinctive crack when the outer chocolate layer is broken, the ad tested highly among those surveyed.
It features Magnum’s chocolate ice cream sticks in a variety of flavours as well as its newer Bon Bons offering.
The video scored very highly in terms of branding — landing in the top 3%. The cracking sound was also a key contributor to viewers being able to clearly identify brand cues within the video (top 6%).
One respondent identified both “the sounds” and “the satisfying breaks” as helping them to imagine how the product might taste.
However, a warning for the brand would be that Instagram can be a largely ‘sound off’ platform meaning that audio cues can’t be relied upon, as according to Kantar data, only 16% of people watched with audio enabled.Ben & Jerry’s founder quits over claims Unilever ‘silenced’ brand on social issues
Per the data, both ads have the potential to support short-term sales, since both land around the top 20% mark.
The unmistakable branding puts Magnum above Perfect Draft, ranking in the top 14% on this measure, whilst Perfect Draft lands just below the top quarter of ads.
Brands need to “tap into what the human brain craves”, says Deason, including content that feels different, entertaining, deeply relevant, or emotionally charged. These are the levers that “earn attention and turn passive viewers into being more actively engaged”.
She adds: “[The ads] will also contribute to long-term brand power by building meaning and reinforcing difference in a memorable brand-centric way.”