Kids Dancing With Backpacks? Yes, and one of the best commercials ever

Let’s say you’re a marketing executive for a billion dollar company and an intern approaches you with an idea. She says, “I have the perfect commercial concept for our product. Let’s put a few kids together and have them dance with their backpacks.” You’d probably think the intern was crazy.

Or, back to reality, you might think I’m crazy for naming this one of the best TV commercials ever, but I really think it is. Here’s why.

1. People love cute kids

2. Everyone wants to be accepted

So let’s think about this for a second. Mastercard offers credit cards right? What’s the number one reason people don’t use Mastercard? Because it’s often not accepted as widely as Visa. How do you counteract this idea and turn it in your favor? Associate your card with acceptance.

Everyone can relate to the need to be accepted by a group of friends. Everyone wants to be loved. And everyone can remember being a kids and wondering if people liked you. And how good you felt when you were with that perfect group of friends.

So Mastercard takes an event that everyone can relate to, makes it fun by having the kids dancing, and creates positive associations with their credit card.

Massively effective commercial and a great model for advertisers.