Brand Advertising Review: TOMS Shoes

As an early leader in the social entrepreneur wave, TOMS Shoes has inspired many to do better and make a real impact on the lives of thousands of people worldwide. TOMS has a simple one-for-one mission: when you buy a pair of TOMS Shoes, a pair is donated to a child in need. TOMS has won praise among politicians (Bill Clinton), businesses (AT&T), advertisers (BBDO Worldwide) and digital influencers (Digg’s founder,Kevin Rose even designed a “Digg shoe”).

This holiday season, TOMS has unveiled a brand new digital advertising campaign that speaks to their social mission and empowers audiences to make a real impact:

See it here

The TOMS campaign stands above typical brand advertising because TOMS tries to convince you to do good and help others. That’s a lot more interesting than advertising campaigns that sell a company or product. At its core, the video spot is inspiring. The music is playful with crescendos that build-up your joy and happiness — making it emotionally powerful. Dancing with the music are small snowflakes to play on the holidays while symbolizing how each person (i.e. snowflake) working together can make a difference (snow).

Sometimes, video can make things complicated. TOMS, on the other hand, is not complicated. It’s simple, understandable and approachable. The video has two goals: 1) to explain TOMS’s social mission (one-for-one) and how they create impact (prevent foot disease) and 2) to encourage you to get involved. The spot illustrates how buying one pair of TOMS Shoes can have a chain reaction — preventing foot disease for children around the world.

In our opinion, the key ingredient is the narrator. It’s not a man or a woman. It’s a child name Ronnie. Ronnie tells you, the parent, friend or family member, how you can make an impact. Humans have a soft spot...