Emotional Triggers: Sadness vs. Joy in Advertising

Emotion drives action. Logic justifies it later. But which emotion?

High Arousal vs. Low Arousal

It's not just Good vs. bad. It's Active vs. Passive.

• High Arousal: Anger, Excitement, Fear, Awe. (Leads to Sharing/Clicking).
• Low Arousal: Contentment, Sadness. (Leads to Inaction).

Sadness (The Charity Model)

Sadness works for charities (sad dog, sad music). It invokes empathy. But for commercial products, it can depress response. People avoid pain.

Joy/Humor (The Super Bowl Model)

Humor creates a bond. "I like this brand; they are funny." But sometimes people remember the joke and forget the product.

Anger/Fear (The News Model)

"Are you paying too much for car insurance?" (Fear of loss). "Why banks don't want you to know this." (Anger at authority). These are potent performance drivers. They agitate a pain point and offer your product as the only solution.

Balance

Use negative emotion (Fear/Agitation) to Hook. Use positive emotion (Relief/Joy) to Sell.