After watching the annual Super Bowl parade of ‘super’ commercials, it tickles me, that the two deemed best, were based on the same thing that has worked forever…. emotional brand stories.

Nothing works better for iconic brands in major events than ‘heroic’ stories like Paul Harvey’s rendition of the American farmer for Dodge, or the heartfelt story of the Budweiser Clydesdale.

The same is true for last year’s winner, Cadillac, and its story about saving Detroit, and who can forget the famous Mean Joe Greene, Coca Cola spot where he gave his jersey to a kid for a Coke.

Coca Cola has unfortunately forgotten this. Their Super Bowl spots used to be the showcase. Not sure their latest desert race spot did a whole lot (maybe socially?). It certainly had no emotional brand story and consequently is easily forgotten.

Sure ‘sex sells’ (Go Daddy, Kate Upton/Mercedes) and sight gags (VW) and trick effects (Doritos) will always get attention and for today—viral buzz, but they never quite work as hard or as deep as the time honored emotional stories do.

The same is true for campaigns that are not necessarily on the Super Bowl.

Some 40 years ago I wrote a tag line for V8, “Wow, I could’ve had a V8”.

This line, in fact, was a mini brand story, in and of itself, and although the emotion was not at all as heroic as for the Super Bowl, it was certainly true to the brand and the emotion surrounding it. It came right out of the mouths of consumers …  with a tinge of self -annoyance on their part.

That human reaction not only confirmed that the brand was good and acceptable and worth remembering…something that has allowed it to survive and grow despite some 40 years of  continuous competition from 100’s of new beverages.

So the brand tip of the day … find the emotional story for your brand and it will last forever.

For more about the V8 story, health brands and 20 others, refer to my new book at www.rocketbranding.com and let me know what you think?