Throwback Thursday: A Love Story Unwrapped

The most pervasive ads often say little about the product being promoted, as Tim Maroder explains. One recent minty fresh ad did just this by silently promoting Wrigley’s Extra gum amongst a truly heartwarming love story.

The Story of Juan and Sarah (Oct. 2015) creatively unwraps one couple’s time together. The story starts with Juan and Sarah making eye contact outside of school, proceeding to follow the couple to their first date, first kiss, first long distance endeavor, and finally, Juan’s proposal.

While Juan and Sarah’s moments and memories are special, the significant, carefully crafted role that Wrigley’s Extra gum plays in the story is what truly propels the ad’s excellence. Extra is present through the entirety of the couple’s relationship: Sarah gives Juan Extra for helping her pick up her fallen books, at prom, and even after their first fight. But when Juan proposes to Sarah with Extra wrappers that have illustrations on them from each of these significant moments in their relationship, it becomes clear that Extra is and always will be present—present not only in their past but in each of their upcoming moments as a married couple. Cue the tears.  

Without saying a single word, The Story of Juan and Sarah brings meaning and joy to something as simple as gum. This advertisement is an excellent example of how a product can be placed into a consumer’s life in a meaningful, culturally relevant way. Here at SJG, we strive to take the same creative approach. How can you follow in these footsteps and catapult a product in a similarly heartwarming way?

[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]https://media.licdn.com/mpr/mpr/shrinknp_400_400/AAEAAQAAAAAAAAUBAAAAJGMwNmMxMTBmLTgwODItNGY2NS05MDViLTY3YWY2ZDkxNTc1NQ.jpg[/author_image] [author_info]Elizabeth is a Junior Executive Intern at SJG. She earned her BA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison this past May. Outside the office, she enjoys bike riding, listening to music, and hanging with friends and family.[/author_info] [/author]