Design that focuses on empathy and human relationships fosters meaningful connections among users, people, humans ... GREAT Commercial Spots

As many of my readers know, I actually come from the web design and advertising industry as a UX designer.

This year for Christmas, I want to remind you of the commercial from Bouygues Telecom from 2018 (Bouygues Telecom S.A. is a French mobile phone, Internet service provider, and IPTV company).

Bouygues has always done a good job of increasing the perceived value of their product by not focusing on new features, speeds, or other techno-superiorities. This spot is different; with this 2018 ad, Bouygues focuses specifically on the real value of staying in touch with family and friends.
A message that sees the values behind values, things, and stuff, and the beautiful "circle of life."

My brief summary:
A young boy is initially entertained by his father's somewhat silly dancing, but he finds it increasingly embarrassing, especially as a teenager, when his father dances in public. As an adult and a father himself, he misses his father's dancing and feels nostalgic, even though it used to embarrass him.

The spot leverages this transformation to enhance the emotions and significance of the boy staying in touch with his father.

The German telecommunications company Deutsche Telekom also has a very touching recent commercial.

In a time when the world seems more divided than ever, true human connection is invaluable to all of us. When we open ourselves up to people on the other side, we realize that we are not so different after all. Let's tear down the barriers we build in our minds.

The spot leverages this transformation to enhance the emotions and significance of the boy staying in touch with his father.

I wish commercials like these would run not only during the Christmas season.

It’s as if clients give themselves permission once a year to be emotional, to tell a captivating story, and to leave behind the copy points.

But why only once a year? Isn’t compelling advertising like this Bouygues spot and the Telekom spot simply compelling advertising? Maybe it’s because clients stumble upon strategic greatness when they free their agencies to create a "Christmas commercial." It means it’s difficult to craft an emotional narrative (a mandate of a "Christmas commercial") without automatically also highlighting the brand’s motivation or, as Simon Sinek puts it, the brand’s "WHY."

With the two commercials mentioned above, I get a clear sense that the brands are not only in the business to sell things, but are in the business for a specific purpose. In the case of Bouygues and Deutsche Telekom, it’s about highlighting the importance of staying in touch. And celebrating the perception and the feeling that some gifts are more than just gifts.

The perception and realization that UX, CX, Customer Centricity,  is more than just how something looks and _behave' in the first moment - it’s about functionality, usability, and the emotional response it generates, gives, ... u name it.  

Whatever we do in design, we do it for people. For me, this also means reflecting on human relationships and empathy.

Good design, whether it's web design, the design of complex applications and processes, doesn't confine itself solely to technology; it profoundly impacts human relationships. An experience designed with empathy, whether in a personal or professional environment, allows users to form emotional connections and have positive interactions with a product or service. This can be applied to real-life relationships, where effective communication and empathy form the foundation of strong connections. By embracing these fundamental principles, UX, CX, Customer Centricity, UI/UXD ...  design facilitates meaningful connections among users, people, humans ....