I recently came across a video for the Ontario Nurses Society and I was struck by how simple and effective the video is.
Have a watch on the video and see what you think:
The video does a great job communicating what the brand does, basically, without any dialogue. To do that, they have really honed in on a few archetypal situations that we each, most likely, have some personal relationship to:
New parents
A newborn child
An elderly loved one
They’re also working with some strong themes that we’ve each experienced in one way or another:
Birth
Parenthood
Vulnerability
Old age
I’m always moved when I watch the video, even after repeat viewing. And that is because I immediately think of my friends and family that have been in these situations, or even when I’ve personally been in that situation: it’s hard to forget the feeling of spending a night alone in the hospital.
And that is how the video is very effective for the Ontario Nurses Association: it sets up situations that are understandable and visceral. They then show their people stepping in to provide comfort in a time of need. Classic call and response. And as a result, it’s hard not to think “if I’m in that situation, I hope someone does that for me.”
In fact, I’m not in Canada and I don’t really know how their nursing practices work, whether you can choose who provides your nursing care, but I know that if I’m in the hospital I want these people taking care of me! And that is what, ultimately, makes this video so fantastic: it makes you want what these nurses do. Or in other words: you want the service the brand provides. Which is accomplished with very little dialogue and some simple, straight forward filmmaking.
Using video for brands can often have different aims, but creating a piece that makes you feel you need that service is the ultimate goal.
To recap, this brand video’s effectiveness stems from:
Creating relatable situations
Tapping into common themes and emotions
Creating a scenario for the brand to step-in in a time of need
