If you’re following us on Facebook you’ve already seen the “Adidas—Break Free” spec ad written and directed by Eugen Merher.

You also know how OBSESSED we are with it, the fact that Adidas “rejected” it, AND the fact that the ad went viral—it has more than 10.7 MILLION views on YouTube, with that number continuing to grow.

According to Eugen ( we spoke with him earlier today—stay tuned for an interview with him coming soon! ) it’s VERY common for brands to turn down spec ads, it’s not a “news story” even though the media’s leading with it in their coverage of the ad.

We find it pretty compelling too, especially since the ad went viral… But we want to focus on something a little different…

This spec ad reminds us of a KEY principal in marketing: that we need to appeal to people’s EMOTIONS.

What makes us feel goes viral.

Eugen’s spec ad NAILED emotional marketing and took us along on a full story with both highs and lows.

In the beginning, it had us feeling sad—but by the end, we were smiling and feeling inspired. We had the “warm-fuzzies” and a strong team mentality, reminding us that we can go further if we work together… If we work as a team.

If you want to make an impact with your ads ( & why wouldn’t you? ), take a cue from Eugen and make your audience feel something—make them cry, laugh, feel inspired… Whatever it is, make them feel it. Appealing to your audience’s emotions is key, and the virality of this spec ad is a great reminder of that.

Since we loved the ad SO much, we’ll be sharing an interview with Eugen very soon. So stay tuned & subscribe to our newsletter to keep in touch!

What are your thoughts? How did you like this spec ad? Did it make you feel something? What was that feeling?

Okay, I just threw a lot of questions at you… If you have questions for us, we want to hear them! Email us at bita@joyconsultingco.com.

Chat with you soon!

Cheers,
Bita

CREDITS
Cast: Jens Weisser, Herman Van Ulzen, Anja Karmanski, Hiltrud Hauschke, Daniel Hubertus
Writer, Director: Eugen Merher
Producers: Karli Baumann, Karl Heidelbach
Director of Photography: Mortimer Hochberg Editor: Ernst Lattik
Compose: Alexander Wolf David
Sound Design: Marcus Fass
Sound Recording: David Hill
Production Design: Nora Brockamp, Julian Dieterich
VFX: Tim Markgraf
Production Company: Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg