DETROIT -

Children: the one theme that everyone can relate to. We were all once children; some have children. But either way, the concept is something we all take stock in.

And as “relatability” is being coined as one of the most important elements of automotive advertising, many brands have begun including a younger set of actors in their TV spots. In fact, most of the recent top performing luxury and non-luxury ads utilize children in their storylines.

According to Phoenix Automotive’s senior research analyst, Kevin Severance, “Relatability is one of the key ways advertising engages the audience.  Historically speaking, our research has shown that ads containing vehicle or feature demonstrations, while also featuring people in real-life scenarios, perform very well.” 

According to insight garnered from Phoenix Marketing International’s Automotive Practice’s new monthly “Advertising Insights Report,” this has become quite a theme.

For example, the company found the top performing luxury and non-luxury ads in July both utilize children in their storyline “to underscore their messages and produce a strong emotional connection while also clearly demonstrating vehicle features and/or capabilities.”

First, Mercedes used children in their ads to showcase their anti-collision system in action, capitalizing on the themes of technology and safety.

The top performing luxury ad in July, Mercedes’ “Like a Human,” features the redesigned E-Class. 

During the ad spot, a young girl chased after her soccer ball into the street and the vehicle stops itself, demonstrating how Mercedes’ anti-collision system gives the car the ability to “see like a human,” Phoenix officials explained.

“Prior research conducted by Phoenix Automotive has shown that in particular, ads with a safety theme that demonstrate a vehicle feature in a clear and relatable manner tend to perform very well with luxury owners/intenders,” the company added.

 The top performing non-luxury ad in July, according to the Advertising Insights report, was Chevrolet’s truck ad, “Powerful.”

This ad, though it also includes children, focuses on different themes than the Mercedes sport. The Chevrolet ad focuses on strength and comfort, according to Phoenix.

In this TV spot, a Chevrolet Silverado HD is depicted pulling a heavy trailer over rough ground. Then, the camera reveals at the end that rise was smooth enough to allow a child to fall asleep in the backseat. 

The father carries the child into the house, while the narrator states, “Because the things you carry are even heavier than the things you haul.”

“The ad manages to effectively balance demonstrating the truck’s capabilities in an impactful way while also connecting emotionally with the audience in an empathetic, relevant way,” Phoenix reported.

Though these ads spotlight different capabilities, brands are taking note of how utilizing children in ad storylines can attract customers.

Interestingly, many of the top performing luxury and non-luxury ads this summer and fall utilize children in their storylines to connect to their audience — "relatability" being key to this effort.

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