15 Inspiring Commercials That Built Brands

As an agency, you know the dilemma. Clients want emotionally resonant, inspiring commercials that "go viral," but they also hand you a budget built for one thing: performance. It feels like an impossible task, right?

But what if I told you that the secret sauce behind the most iconic, inspiring commercials isn't some unobtainable, million-dollar magic? What if those same principles could be scaled down and injected directly into your everyday Meta campaigns?

This isn't just wishful thinking; the data is crystal clear. According to a landmark study, purely emotional ad campaigns can deliver double the profitability of rational ones, showing a 31% lift compared to just 16%.

So, this guide isn't just a nostalgic trip down memory lane. It's a strategic breakdown of 15 legendary ads and the actionable framework you and your agency can use—starting today—to turn that fuzzy feeling of inspiration into cold, hard, measurable results for your clients.

Our Game Plan

Ready to become the agency that doesn't just run ads, but builds brands clients brag about? Here’s what we’re going to tackle together:

• The core principles that make commercials genuinely inspiring
• A breakdown of 15 classic and modern ads your team can learn from
• The data-backed reasons why emotional advertising drives killer business results
• A step-by-step framework for creating inspiring ads, even on a tight budget
• How to translate these big ideas into effective Meta and TikTok ad campaigns

What Actually Makes an Ad Inspiring? The 3 Pillars of Emotional Resonance

Inspiring commercials connect with audiences by combining a universal human truth, a clear emotional core, and an authentic brand role. These three pillars are the foundation for ads that stick with you for years, regardless of budget.

Before we fire up the projector and dive into the examples, let's get on the same page. What really makes an ad inspiring? It’s not the celebrity cameo or the sweeping orchestral score. Inspiring ads—the ones that stick with you for years—are built on three simple, powerful pillars. Master these, and you can create magic for your clients, whether you have a Super Bowl budget or a shoestring startup fund.

1. A Universal Human Truth: This is the foundation. It’s an insight into the human condition that everyone can recognize and relate to. It’s not about your product’s features; it’s about the fundamental human desires, fears, or joys your brand taps into. Think: the desire to belong, the pride of overcoming a challenge, or the love for family.
2. A Clear Emotional Core: Once you have your truth, you need to choose the specific emotion you want to evoke. Don't try to make people feel everything at once. Is your goal to inspire awe? Trigger a belly laugh? Create a lump in their throat? A great ad picks one emotional lane and drives it home with absolute clarity.
3. An Authentic Brand Role: This is where so many emotional ads fall flat. The brand can't just show up at the end like an uninvited guest. It needs to play a believable and authentic role in the story. The brand should be the enabler, the supporter, or the tool that helps the hero of the story achieve their goal.

When these three pillars align, you get more than just a commercial. You get a piece of communication that connects on a deep, human level.

The Classics: 5 Ads That Defined a Generation

These are the legends, the ones you probably studied in school for a reason. But they're not just museum pieces. The principles they pioneered are more relevant than ever in today's fragmented digital world.

1. Apple: "Think Different" (1997)

The Ad: A black-and-white montage of icons, rebels, and "crazy ones" like Albert Einstein and Martin Luther King Jr. The narration celebrates those who see things differently and push humanity forward. Apple’s logo appears only at the very end.

• Universal Truth: The world is changed by those who dare to challenge the status quo.
• Emotional Core: Awe and admiration for human potential.
• Authentic Brand Role: Apple is the tool for the visionaries and misfits changing the world.

Pro Tip for Agencies: You don't need historical figures. For your client, find their "crazy ones." Is it the small business owner working until 2 AM? The developer coding the next big app? Create a Meta carousel ad showcasing real customers who embody the "Think Different" spirit of your client's brand.

2. P&G: "Thank You, Mom" (2012 Olympics)

The Ad: We see Olympic athletes as children, falling, struggling, and being picked up and encouraged by their mothers. It culminates with them competing at the Olympics, with their moms cheering from the stands.

• Universal Truth: Behind every great person is the unwavering support of a loved one.
• Emotional Core: Gratitude and heartfelt empathy.
• Authentic Brand Role: P&G, a "proud sponsor of moms," provides the everyday products that support moms as they support their children.

Pro Tip for Agencies: This is the ultimate user-generated content (UGC) play. For a client's Mother's Day campaign, run a contest asking users to share a story about their mom's support. Use the best stories to create a simple, powerful video ad for TikTok or Reels—no Olympic budget required. Seriously, try this. You can find more Facebook ad examples that leverage user-generated content.

3. Nike: "Find Your Greatness" (2012)

The Ad: While the Olympics showcased superhuman athletes, Nike ran a campaign featuring everyday people in places named London all over the world. The narration redefines "greatness" as something achievable by anyone, anywhere.

• Universal Truth: Greatness isn't reserved for the elite; it's found in the effort to be your best self.
• Emotional Core: Empowerment and motivational pride.
• Authentic Brand Role: Nike is the gear that empowers your personal journey to greatness.

Pro Tip for Agencies: Your client's product helps someone achieve their version of greatness. A meal-kit service helps a busy parent achieve "greatness" by cooking a healthy family dinner. Use simple text-on-screen videos to tell these smaller, relatable stories of greatness.

4. Dove: "Real Beauty" (2004)

The Ad: The campaign started with billboards featuring real women, not models, asking viewers to vote on whether they were "wrinkled or wonderful." It sparked a global conversation about unrealistic beauty standards.

• Universal Truth: The narrow, media-defined standards of beauty are harmful and don't reflect reality.
• Emotional Core: Outrage at the status quo, followed by the empowering feeling of validation.
• Authentic Brand Role: Dove becomes the champion for real beauty, providing products that care for women as they are.

Pro Tip for Agencies: What industry norm can your client push back against? A financial services client could challenge the "get rich quick" narrative with ads about slow, steady wealth-building. It’s about finding a cultural tension and positioning your client’s brand as the resolution. This is a powerful way to generate advertising inspiration.

5. Google: "Loretta" (2020)

The Ad: Told almost entirely through a Google search interface, an elderly man uses Google Assistant to remember details about his late wife, Loretta.

• Universal Truth: Love and memory are the most precious things we have.
• Emotional Core: Deep, profound love and the bittersweet pain of loss.
• Authentic Brand Role: Google isn't just a search engine; it's a vessel for our most cherished memories.

Pro Tip for Agencies: This ad is a masterclass in "show, don't tell." How can you do this for your client? For a SaaS client, create a screen-recording ad that shows a user achieving a goal with the software, but layer it with a human voiceover explaining the why behind the clicks.

The Modern Masters: 5 Ads That Broke Through in Recent Years

The principles are timeless, but the execution evolves. These recent ads show how to capture the classic pillars in a world built for swipes, shares, and 6-second attention spans.

1. Nike: "Dream Crazier" (2019)

The Ad: Narrated by Serena Williams, this ad showcases female athletes who have broken barriers and been labeled "crazy" for doing so. It reclaims the word as a badge of honor.

• Universal Truth: Women who challenge limits are often unfairly criticized.
• Emotional Core: Defiant, righteous pride.
• Authentic Brand Role: Nike stands with the women who are crazy enough to change the game.

Pro Tip for Agencies: This ad was built for social. When creating a video ad, think in "soundbites." Create 6-second cutdowns of your main video, each focused on one powerful line or visual, perfect for running as separate ads or on TikTok.

2. Dove: "Cost of Beauty" (2023)

The Ad: A young girl's journey from vibrant childhood to being consumed by the pressures of social media, ending with her in treatment for an eating disorder. It’s set to a haunting version of "You Are So Beautiful."

• Universal Truth: The pressure for online perfection is causing a mental health crisis for young people.
• Emotional Core: Heartbreak, concern, and a call to action.
• Authentic Brand Role: Dove positions itself as an activist fighting against toxic beauty standards.

Pro Tip for Agencies: Don't be afraid to help your clients enter important cultural conversations, as long as it's authentic. The key is to offer a solution or a supportive stance, not just point out the problem.

3. Apple: "The Greatest" (2022)

The Ad: People with various disabilities use Apple's accessibility features (like Voice Control and Door Detection) to create, communicate, and navigate the world.

• Universal Truth: Technology should empower everyone, regardless of their physical abilities.
• Emotional Core: Uplifting joy and awe at human ingenuity.
• Authentic Brand Role: Apple demonstrates how its products concretely improve lives—a feature-driven ad wrapped in a deeply emotional story.

Pro Tip for Agencies: This is a brilliant way to do a "product demo" ad. Instead of a boring screencast, show the outcome. Don't show the accounting software; show the small business owner leaving work early to see their kid's soccer game because their books were done in half the time.

4. Shopify: "Let's Make You a Business" (2021)

The Ad: This campaign celebrated the grit and reality of entrepreneurship—the messy, chaotic, and ultimately rewarding journey of starting a business.

• Universal Truth: Building something of your own is incredibly hard, but deeply fulfilling.
• Emotional Core: Gritty, relatable determination.
• Authentic Brand Role: Shopify is the no-nonsense partner for the real-world entrepreneur.

Pro Tip for Agencies: Authenticity wins, period. For your e-commerce clients, ditch the perfect product shots for one campaign. Instead, run ads showing behind-the-scenes footage of the product being made, packed, and shipped. It builds trust and makes the brand feel so much more human. You can find more fun advertising ideas that break the mold.

5. Google: "Javier in Frame" (2024 Super Bowl)

The Ad: This ad showcases the "Guided Frame" feature on Pixel phones, which uses AI to help people who are blind or have low vision take perfectly framed selfies. We follow a man named Javier as he documents his life.

• Universal Truth: We all want to capture and share the moments that define our lives.
• Emotional Core: Heartwarming joy and independence.
• Authentic Brand Role: Google's technology is a tool for inclusion that removes barriers.

Pro Tip for Agencies: Here's the play: Identify a single, powerful feature of your client's product and build a human story around it. Don't list 10 features. Pick the one with the most emotional impact and show how it changes someone's day. This is how you create a truly creative ad.

The Unconventional: 5 Ads That Inspired Through Humor and Surprise

Inspiration doesn't always have to be a tearjerker. Sometimes, the most memorable ads are the ones that make us laugh out loud. Think of humor as a shortcut to brand affinity.

1. Volkswagen: "The Force" (2011)

The Ad: A small child dressed as Darth Vader hilariously fails to use "the Force" on everything. Dejected, he tries it on his dad's VW, and to his shock, the car starts—thanks to his dad using the remote from the kitchen.

• Universal Truth: The joy of a child's imagination is infectious.
• Emotional Core: Pure, unadulterated delight and humor.
• Authentic Brand Role: VW is the enabler of a magical family moment.

Pro Tip for Agencies: How can your client's product create a moment of "magic"? For a smart home device client, an ad could show a parent using a voice command to dim the lights, instantly turning a chaotic living room into a "magical" story time fort for their kids.

2. Budweiser: "Puppy Love" (2014)

The Ad: An impossibly cute puppy repeatedly escapes to befriend the Clydesdale horses next door. In the end, the Clydesdales block the road to stop the puppy from being adopted, ensuring they stay together.

• Universal Truth: Unlikely friendships are the most heartwarming.
• Emotional Core: Overwhelming cuteness and sentimental joy.
• Authentic Brand Role: Budweiser, symbolized by the Clydesdales, represents enduring bonds.

Pro Tip for Agencies: You don't need puppies and horses! Find an "unlikely pairing" related to your client's brand. For a food client, it could be an ad about two completely different foods that taste amazing together. The element of surprise and discovery is a powerful hook.

3. Old Spice: "The Man Your Man Could Smell Like" (2010)

The Ad: In a single, seamless take, the impossibly charming Isaiah Mustafa transitions from a bathroom to a boat to a horse on a beach, speaking directly to the camera. It's absurd, hilarious, and captivating.

• Universal Truth: Confidence is incredibly attractive.
• Emotional Core: Sheer, surreal humor and charm.
• Authentic Brand Role: Old Spice is the catalyst for this over-the-top, aspirational confidence.

Pro Tip for Agencies: This ad broke every rule, and that's the lesson. Embrace the absurd. For a client in a "boring" industry like insurance, dare to be weird. Create a fast-paced, funny ad that personifies a common risk as a clumsy cartoon villain.

4. Dollar Shave Club: "Our Blades Are F***ing Great" (2012)

The Ad: The founder, Mike Dubin, walks through his warehouse, delivering a deadpan, hilarious monologue that skewers the overpriced razor industry. It's low-budget, irreverent, and brutally honest.

• Universal Truth: We're all tired of being overcharged for simple products.
• Emotional Core: Cathartic humor and the feeling of being in on a secret.
• Authentic Brand Role: Dollar Shave Club is the smart, no-BS solution to a common frustration.

Pro Tip for Agencies: Your client's "why" is a powerful story. A simple "talking head" video of the founder explaining their mission, delivered with passion and humor, can be more effective than a slick, high-production spot. It’s a masterclass in writing copy that converts.

5. Liquid Death: "Murder Your Thirst"

The Ad: With heavy metal music and brutal imagery, Liquid Death presents canned mountain water as the most hardcore beverage on the planet, subverting the serene branding typical of bottled water.

• Universal Truth: Marketing tropes can be boring and predictable.
• Emotional Core: Ironic, rebellious humor.
• Authentic Brand Role: Liquid Death is the antidote to boring.

Pro Tip for Agencies: Identify the biggest cliché in your client's industry and do the exact opposite. If all competitors use calm, minimalist advertising design, help your client create a campaign that is loud, colorful, and maximalist. Standing out is half the battle.

The "Why" That Convinces Your Clients: Emotion Drives Results

Okay, we’ve had our fun geeking out on great ads. But we both know the client's next question is always, "But will it work?" You need to be ready to defend a creative-led strategy with cold, hard data.

Here's the thing: emotion isn't the opposite of performance; it's the fuel for it.

• Emotion Drives Impact: Feeling something makes an ad memorable. According to Kantar, digital ads that generate strong emotions are four times more impactful than those that don't.
• Emotion Drives Sales: Getting noticed is great, but getting paid is better. Research from Nielsen found that ads with an above-average emotional response from consumers generated a 23% lift in sales.
• Emotion Drives Trust: In a world of deep fakes and fleeting trends, trust is currency. A study revealed that when customers have a positive emotional connection to a brand, they are more likely to be loyal to that brand.

Quick Tip: Put these stats on a slide in your next client pitch deck. When you propose a campaign built on a "Universal Human Truth," you're not just pitching a "soft" idea. You're pitching a strategy backed by data for impact, sales, and trust.

The Agency's Framework for Creating Inspiring Digital Ads

Feeling inspired? Good. Now, let's get to work. Here is a simple, five-step framework your agency can use to translate all this high-level inspiration into actual, effective digital ads.

1. Uncover the Client's Core Truth: Sit down with your client and dig deeper than their Unique Selling Proposition (USP). Ask them: "Why did you really start this business?" or "What problem in the world are you trying to solve?" You're looking for the human story behind the business. This is the raw material for your Universal Human Truth.
2. Choose Your Emotional Angle: Based on that Core Truth, pick one specific emotion. Are you trying to make people feel awe, empathy, humor, or pride? Don't mix them. A clear emotional focus is critical for a short-form digital ad to land its punch.
3. Script for a 6-Second World: You don't have 60 seconds. You have maybe three. Your script needs a simple structure:
   
   • Hook (0-2 seconds): Start with your most surprising visual or a provocative question. Grab them immediately.
   • Hold (2-6 seconds): Build the story. Introduce the character and the conflict.
   • Payoff (6+ seconds): Deliver the emotional resolution and connect it to the brand.
     Remember, 71% of marketers predict that short-form video will have the highest ROI. Script accordingly.
4. Use Music & Visuals as Emotional Shorthand: You don't have time for long-winded narration. Use music, color grading, and pacing to tell the emotional story instantly. A fast-paced, upbeat track signals joy. A slow piano piece signals sadness. These are powerful shortcuts to the heart. Don't overlook them.
5. Test, Learn, and Scale with Data: This is the most important step, so don't skip it. Don't just launch your one "big idea" and hope for the best. Create 3-5 different versions of your ad, each testing a slightly different hook or call to action. Run them with a small budget and let the data tell you what's resonating. Then, put the real budget behind the winner. This is how you combine the art of storytelling with the science of performance marketing.

From Super Bowl Budgets to Meta Campaigns: Executing with Madgicx

"This is all great," you might be thinking, "but we don't have Apple's creative team or Nike's budget."

We get it. And you're right—ideas are great, but execution is everything. The good news is you don't need a massive budget when you have the right tools to work smarter and faster. This is where a platform like Madgicx can bridge the gap between a brilliant idea and a profitable campaign.

Here’s how your agency can use Madgicx to apply these lessons:

• Create at Scale with AI Ad Generator: Once you've landed on your "Universal Human Truth," use the AI Ad Generator to generate dozens of unique creative concepts in seconds. Test different visual styles to see which one best captures your chosen emotional angle.
• Analyze Performance with AI Chat: Is your emotional campaign actually working? Instead of drowning in Ads Manager, just ask a simple question. With Madgicx's AI Chat, you can get fast answers, like "Which of my 'Find Your Greatness' ad concepts has the highest CTR with women 25-34?"
• Prove Your Value with One-Click Reports: You've launched a creative campaign that's driving amazing results. Now, prove it. Use One-Click Reports to showcase how your inspiring new creative is impacting everything from click-through rates to actual revenue.

Try Madgicx for free.

FAQ

What makes a commercial inspiring?

An inspiring commercial is built on three pillars: a Universal Human Truth that everyone can relate to, a Clear Emotional Core that tells the audience what to feel, and an Authentic Brand Role where the brand is a believable part of the story.

How can my agency make an inspiring ad on a small budget?

Look, it's all about the story, not the production value. A powerful human truth can be told with an iPhone and a compelling script. Use authentic user-generated content, a founder's story, or a simple animation. The idea is always more important than the gear.

What are the most common mistakes when trying to make an emotional ad?

The biggest mistakes we see are: 1) Being Inauthentic (tapping an emotion that doesn't fit your brand), 2) Forgetting the Brand (creating a beautiful short film where the brand feels tacked on at the end), and 3) Trying to Do Too Much (mixing too many emotions). Pick one emotion and stick to it.

How do you measure the ROI of an "inspiring" ad campaign?

You measure it with a combination of brand metrics (ad recall, sentiment, share rate) and performance metrics (ROAS, CPA, lead quality). Use tools like Madgicx's One-Click Report to show how the "inspiring" top-of-funnel campaign is directly connected to bottom-of-funnel conversions.

Stop Admiring, Start Creating

The iconic ads we've discussed aren't just creative artifacts; they are strategic business assets that built empires. By understanding the timeless principles behind them and using modern tools to execute with agility, your agency can move from simply managing ad spend to building brands that last.

The next great inspiring ad doesn't have to come from a global brand with an unlimited budget. It can come from your team, for your client, on a Tuesday afternoon. The framework is here. The tools are ready.

It's time to create. Start your free trial with Madgicx →