Indeed, made like no other.

Occasionally, an ad appears on TV that captures your attention in a way that may seem counterintuitive. When most advertisements attempt to force your attention by increasing the volume, some take a different approach and peak your awareness by being simple and quiet. In some cases, quiet ads, which often communicate via text rather than spoken words, create the perfect intermission for TV viewers to get up and use their favorite brand of toilet paper. But when a subdued ad becomes beautiful and communicates more than just a product to the consumer, it can be one of the most compelling ways to connect with an audience. 

This Haagen-Dazs ad first hit TV in May 2004, and I still remember seeing it then. Not to be excessively dramatic or anything, but I may venture to say that this is my favorite mainstream TV ad ever aired. Perhaps it is a bit neurotic to remember an ad from 2004 and watch it regularly on YouTube, but I find it incredible how epic they make ice cream appear. How much does Haagen-Dazs cost per half gallon? Oh, right. They don’t even sell it by the half gallon, and a pint of their premium ice cream is more expensive than a barrel of generic ice cream at Costco. After watching this ad, though, or really any of Haagen-Dazs’s ads, you start to believe that it’s one-hundred-percent worth it. 

That is really the key to selling premium products. The campaign has to be about something more than just the product itself. If Haagen-Dazs focused on making you recognize how much you wanted a scoop of ice cream right now, you might go to the store and buy ice cream, but you probably wouldn’t buy the most expensive pint available. These ads are less about need recognition and more about philosophy. The first twenty seconds of the ad don’t even mention Haagen-Dazs by name, but they mention the brand through congruent imagery and style. The brand’s philosophy, the “school of thought,” revolves around simplicity, beauty derived from nature and symmetry, and the idea that Haagen-Dazs ice cream is really a work of art. Everything in the ad lends itself to this idea, and convinces us that it is true. Beautifully monochromatic landscapes, an elegant melody, and images of pristine natural ingredients lead up to the making of a gorgeous bowl of ice cream. No, no. A gorgeous bowl of Haagen-Dazs ice cream. The scoop, the color, the serving size, the background, and even the shadow that melt into a universally recognizable and incredibly clean logo all come together to create the perfect dessert “haiku.” Enjoy.