What's better than a logo in an ad?
You'd think the strongest way to create brand linkage in an ad is to literally show your logo, yes?
Not so fast, Batman.
Ipsos analyzed over 2,000 TV ads (:15s & :30s) shown in "distracted" conditions. So it's not real-world, but the research tried to replicate some of the noise that ads deal with. Then they essentially asked, “Which brands do you remember seeing ads for?”
They found that the brand elements (aka distinctive assets, brand codes) that had the most impact on brand linkage & recall were:
BRANDED SOUNDS (like Intel inside tones, or "We have! The meats!"), and
BRAND CHARACTERS (like that gross snot mucous creature voiced by Jason Mantzoukas for... uh...).
And yet only 14% of ads used characters, and only 6% had a branded sound (or sonic brand cue). Yikes.
Oh, and the logo? Used in 91% of ads, but was dead last in creating brand linkage.
Remember: if people notice, like, or remember your ad but don't link it to your brand, you might as well just burn your money instead of do ads.
PS: there are some caveats, so read the whole report. But it’s juicy.
The power of you: why distinctive brand assets are a driving force of creative effectiveness