Since the publication of the book “Emotional intelligence” by Daniel Goleman, in 1995; the universe of emotions is constantly being addressed, strengthening the importance of using our emotions positively by orienting them efficiently within the working environment as well as in our personal relationships.

In the 70’s the proposals of Kansei Engineering highlighted, among the requirements to design a product, the consideration of emotional and aesthetic issues as an undeniable value to be integrated in the design process. Thus, in the last five years, the strategy that proposes sense involvement has spread and appears as one of the most fascinating experiences when enjoying products. The consideration of the emotional component, that is, reflecting the feelings and sensations that go with perception, is an approach that provides a key value to the product (Norman, 2005).

As a result, different strategic and creative disciplines have progressively included proposals that transform the emotional component, derived from the involvement of the senses, in the nucleus of its communicative discourse. The achievement of thorough knowledge, regarding the human perception process, as well as its importance and impact on emotions and its relation with product selection (Desmet, 2002), is being a constantly tackled task by the disciplines of marketing, advertising, sensorial sciences, graphic and industrial design. As a consequence, more specialised sciences in these fields have emerged: Neuromarketing (Bradiot, 2005), Experiential Marketing (Lenderman, 2006), Emotional Branding (Gobé, 2001), and Kansei Engineering contributions (Nagamachi, 2002). All add, to their approaches, key elements to cover these emotional and experential needs. The front sight points to the senses that are placed on a board with the emotional concept as its target. Rediscovering  that experiences and sense reception and involvement are some of the key factors of success to be added to a product, leads to the fact that the perception, that enables the enjoyment of intense emotional and rewarding experiences, is the guideline that currently signals the tone of creative discourse.

The former mentioned issues give way to a “feelings generation”: the emotion generation that cannot stop feeling. Brands, aware of this fact, declare their unconditional love and their worry towards everything that worries us. From this moment the quantification and direction of consumers perception is one of the strategic objectives of businesses. Knowing the product´s semantics (services or brands), that is, the meaning and perception that these have for the consumer will provide a result applicable to the implementation of a better final product.

How to achieve satisfaction within the emotional sphere? This question enables us to define a reference framework with a similar discursive tone. In which the similarity of the resources used is clearly perceived. An emotional common denominator is placed in first position without giving importance to whether what is offered is a service, a product or a promise. The sources of emission of these emotional messages are transformed into a flow that turns the act of consumption (services or products) into an activity that gathers strength if the intensity of emotions takes part in the process. Feelings, emotions and senses are words that appear with strength in a substantial number of cases in which the elaboration of an effective discourse is necessary. How does the emotional component influence this disciplines? We will now show some of the elements that shape the emotional component that defines a “feelings generation” that “cannot stop feeling”.

A selection of thirty examples have been divided into two blocks: (A/1.A – 15.A; B/1.B– 15.B) in order to illustrate this trend.

Emotional advertising of companies and services (1.A – 15.A): fifteen examples that use emotional tone as a communicative strategy. The examples show radio slogans and TV slots and advertising campaign images (printed advertising in catalogues and magazines, billboards and the Internet).

Emotional elements present in Mass Consumption Products (1.B – 15.B): present in fifteen examples of Mass Consumption Products, whose packaging graphics or product shape use an emotional tone.

Emotional advertising of companies and services: a substantial number of advertising campaigns are focused on feelings and emotions experienced with a product, as a potential alluring element. In spite of the fact that the advertised products and services are very different, “feelings and emotions” are common factors within the advertising messages, taking into consideration the fact that emotions are involved and lead the decisions in the consumer’s election process.

These are examples of some of the advertising campaigns on radio and TV whose slogans are focused on highlighting the perception aspects related to feelings and

emotions.

1.1.A: Auris Toyota: “¿How to explain a feeling when you are the only person who has experienced it?”. Advertisement broadcast on the Spanish TV channel TV2 (29/10/07).

1.2.A: Lexus 220-IS: “Unique feelings” (29/10/07).

1.3.A: Kinder chocolate eggs: “Create each time a unique sensation that nobody can interrupt”. Advertisement broadcast on the Spanish TV channel TV2 (30/10/07).

2.1.A: New “3 out of 6” from the ONCE (National Organisation of Spanish Blind People): “Emotion is in the streets”. Advertising slot broadcast on the Spanish radio station Onda Cero (06/11/07).

2.2.A: Caja Madrid Account: “Sense and Sensitiveness”. Advertising slot broadcaste on the Spanish radio station Onda Cero (12/11/07).

2.3.A: BMW 118-D: “Sometimes sight is not enough to feel it all. Feel the new BMW

118-D”. Advertising slot broadcast on the Spanish radio station Onda Cero (13/11/07).

Advertising Billboard J&B. Slogan: “Scent & flavour”

Zaragoza, Spain 15/01/09

Example 4.A

Advertising Billboard. Ebrosa Building Company. Slogan: “A flow of emotions”

Zaragoza, Spain 04/02/09

Advertising in catalogues and magazines:

Bang & Olufsen, a referent regarding product design, proposes: “Get excited with Bang

& Olufsen”.

Example 5.A

Catalogue cover 2007-2007. Slogan:

“Get excited with Bang & Olufsen”

Canon also adds the emotional tone to advertise its model EOS Digital

Example 6.A

Advertising in magazine. Digital photographic camera Canon EOS. Slogan:

“Can a machine capture emotions?”

Advertising on informative leaflet to present the designs of a shoe collection.

Example 7.A

Advertising on informative leaflet. Fosco shoe shop. Slogan:

“Feelings spring- summer 2007”

Advertising on the Internet.

Example 8.A

Advertising of Control condoms. Series Sex Senses

“A new experience for your senses comes to life. The new aphrodisiac condoms Sex Senses designed by

Aphrodite. Three exciting and original scents that will release passion and will enable you to discover a

universe of feelings”

Services as different as those offered by a financial institution (example 9.A), a casino (10.A) or a cultural space (11.A), coincide in highlighting the sensorial aspects present in their services.

Example 9.A

Advertising Criteria Caixa Corp. Slogan:

“Investment Sense”

Example 10.A

Advertising Great Casino of Aranjuez. Slogan:

“A game of sensations”

Example 11.A

Advertising of the City of Arts and Science. Slogan:

“Emotion is inside”

Communicating a company image being aware of sustainability on the planet by means of emotional symbols is a direct resource towards the heart of the user/consumer.

Example 12.A

Advertising of the company Balay to help sustainability

Feeling the emotion in a cultural event is the idea deduced from the slogan that appears in the banderole.

Example 13.A

Advertising in Expo Zaragoza 2008. Slogan: “Millions of emotions to be felt”

The mobile telephone company Movistar in its 2007 advertising campaign, invited users to live Christmas with excitement.

Example 14.A

Advertising of the telephone company Movistar. Slogan:

“Live Christmas with excitement”

The adoption of an emotional branding has been consolidated with strength as a solid and effective strategy. Brands show their “unconditional love” towards us, and towards all that worries us and try to excite us with their products.

Example 15.1.A

Advertising on Flora margarine. Slogan:

“Flora loves your heart”

Example 15.2.A

Advertising of the company Roca. Slogan:

“Roca loves the planet”

Example 15.3.A

Advertising of the car manufacturer Seat. Slogan:

“Seat autoemotion”

In order to enable a product to be viewed in a positive way by the consumer, it must gather and adequately convey its properties by means of all the visible elements it contains: shapes, materials, colours, finish, etc. All these characteristics will convey their semantic and aesthetic qualities due to the fact that they will be reflected by the product and received by the consumer. Increasing the emotions and experiences by means of the design is an efficient stimulus. Beyond making easier consumption and product information, most of the brands have chosen as a business strategy endowing the product with and individual and imaginary dimension, transforming it in a powerful strength that induces you to feel. Assessing the communicative aspects that take part in the packaging to provide rewarding and pleasurable feelings is one of the premises considered in some designs resulting in proposals for multi-sensorial packaging that traps the senses. Proposing pleasant, playful, sensual or energising experiences, when consuming the product, has become an objective that the packaging is able to transmit.

Thus, when referring to sense involvement at the moment of consumption it is possible to emphasise perception and the pleasure obtained or even associate a particular experience.

The following examples are Mass Consumption Products oriented to satisfy the expectations of those consumers who are allured by the associated feelings and

experiences that arise in them when they see and consume the product. Due to the packaging the brand Kandoo proposes a new way of consumption. Beyond

its container function the packaging, with its game box shape, acts as a catalyst that transforms the consumption experience in an amusing experience.

Example 1.B

Kandoo by Dodot

Nenuco Spa proposes a packaging that stimulates the senses by means of sounds and

textures at the same time that it links personal hygiene to a playful experience.

Example 2.B

Nenuco Spa

The water Font Vella Sensación has included the experiential component by means of

its name, associating its consumption to a feeling of positive experiences for the body.

Example 3.B

Water Font Vella Sensación

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The Magnum ice-creams presented a limited edition, exclusively devoted to the five

senses, in which the pleasure of the flavour of each ice-cream was emphasised by one of

the senses.

Example 4.B

Limited edition packaging of Magnum five senses

A sample of the emotional component conveyed by the packaging shape and graphic is

presented by the following chocolate boxes.

Examples 5.B, 6.B and 7.B

Packaging chocolate boxes by Lindt, Laura and Milka

The heart symbol has become one of the most used elements in this “feelings period” of

communication. Intuition, affection and sensitiveness are key concepts that should be

aroused in the consumer. By the addition of the “heart” element, on packaging graphics,

a close and clear message, with reference to the benefits of the product, is conveyed.

Examples 8.B and 9.B

Packaging of Vivesoy pineapple and soya. Packaging Carrefour yoghourt

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Continuing with the tone of the rewarding feelings, the brands Brugal and Trident

propose enjoying the feelings by the consumption of their products.

Examples 10.B and 11.B

Packaging Brugal Añejo and Bubble gum Trident Senses

In the same way, attributing a care and cuddling image to products devoted to the

cleaning of delicate items of clothing adjusts perfectly to the tone of emotional

discourse. “Cuddle your senses and your clothes with subtle almond touches”. Is the

slogan used by Mimosín créme in order to describe the qualities of the product. The

packaging of Mimosín transforms the ergonomics of its design in a feeling of care for

the clothes.

Examples 12.B and 13.B

Packaging Mimosín Créme and washing liquid Ariel Sensaciones

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Products as different as those belonging to the household or snacks, include the concept

of “feeling” in order to emphasise a more complete and intense perception of the

product.

Examples 14.B and 15.B

Packaging of Luminarc flutes and Lays chips

An idea appears constantly in all these examples: do not stop feeling what the product

offers you and experience everything that the product can convey to you.

The application of emotional solutions reinforces its presence due to the fact that it

appears in different disciplines that interact jointly exercising a strong strategic power.

This is the reason why a certain degree of poverty is found in the discourse and in the

tone used, when these products are presented before the consumer. Irrespective of the

product or service the addition of Experiential Marketing has covered with an aureole of

intense feelings and emotions the environment that accompanies the product. The

product is much more than what you see. The product is what makes you feel. Before a

multi-dimensional and ever-changing consumer the most effective strategy is the one

that approaches the left side of the consumer’s brain. The encounter with the

individual’s emotional part is located in the fore sight, when communicating the

attributes of the product. The rediscovery of the senses and of their importance in the

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perception process is proportional to the intensiveness and implication of the latter.

Therefore, the capacity to enjoy and the emotions experienced will be bigger.

Products and services have become what the consumer wants to feel, understanding this

consumption as a mirror of the social trends and transformations. This gives way to a

“feelings generation”: a generation that cannot stop feeling. The brands aware of this

fact, declare their unconditional love and their worry about all that worries us. From

here on, quantifying and directing the consumer’s perception is one of the strategic

objectives aimed at by the business world. Knowing the semantics of a product (service

or brand), that is, its meaning, the perception and the value that the product acquires for

the consumer will provide a result applicable to the implementation of a better final

product or service.

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