Is it my imagination, or are many of the ads I've seen during Olympics coverage wayyy better than the more hyped Super Bowl spots of a few weeks ago?

Like this one, from GE:

And this one, which may be my favorite, from P & G...

What each has in common is obvious: a narrative, a plot twist, that makes us FEEL strongly.

What may not be so obvious: my wife and I would backup the DVR and intentionally watch these commercials.

Part of it is we're probably more receptive to emotional content during Olympics coverage because we're conditioned to strong emotional response while watching.

The bigger part is the theme of my web site: we crave strong emotional connection and our brains are designed to love stories that resonate.

If you are not a subscriber to this blog, you really should check out yesterday's video. I think it will fill you with joy.

ps. Since one of the comments brought up the atmosphere of football as one of the reasons those spots are not as emotionally engaging, another reader pointed out the Mean Joe Green Coke Spot from the 1979 Super Bowl, which you can see below for comparison.