From eyeballs to goosebumps: marketing in the age of emotional context

For too long, marketers have acted like human beings are nothing but spreadsheets with eyeballs.

Mapping demographics, stalking behaviours like Joe Goldberg in an episode of You, then patting ourselves on the back for targeting precision.

Content merely became information delivery. Ads became data points. And then it was all “wait, why does no one care anymore?” Well, silly, that’s because people don’t buy because of information. Information is not what moves people. Emotion is.

We are entering a new era where the question isn’t just who’s watching? It's how are they feeling when they see this?

Call it mood-based media, or even feeling-first advertising, but what it really is, is a refusal to treat people as passive audiences. It's the recognition that the mood, tone, and affect of the content surrounding an ad deeply shapes how that ad is received.

Someone watching a crime drama, skin buzzing with suspense, literally on the edge of a panic attack, is not the same human being as someone curled up in a cosy YouTube vlog haze. So, why would we speak to them as if they are?

The context isn’t just genre; it’s emotional priming.

The irony here? Emotion has always been advertising’s oldest lever. That’s how it all began, with a feeling. Emotion. This-soap-makes-you-feel-this-clean-and-godlike type beat.

From the tear-jerker Christmas commercials to the adrenaline-charged Nike spots, the best campaigns have never been made to inform. They were made to be felt.

What’s new is that, for the first time, we can begin to measure and optimise for emotional context at scale. AI sentiment analysis, biometric feedback, streaming data, all tools that point to a frontier where brands don’t just target by category, but by state of mind.

If you want to play in this new era, forget blunt-force targeting. Build with mood.

But how do you actually do that?? Think less like a media planner and more like a composer, drawing on a palette of emotional states:

1. Curiosity / wonder 

Context: tutorials, explainers, science TikToks.

Brand play: tease the unknown, frame your product as the “next step” in discovery.

Style: open loops, cliffhangers, big reveals.

2. Tension / suspense 

Context: crime dramas, horror, heated debates.

Brand play: either be the release valve or double down on the drama.

Style: sharp pacing, contrasts, problem/solution arcs.

3. Joy / excitement 

Context: comedy, sports highlights, viral challenges.

Brand play: mirror the fun, amplify the high.

Style: fast cuts, celebratory tone, humour.

4. Calm / comfort 

Context: ASMR, wellness, cozy vlogs.

Brand play: position as soothing, safe, reliable.

Style: slower pacing, soft tones, gentle language.

5. Inspiration / aspiration 

Context: fitness reels, motivational talks, transformations.

Brand play: align with growth and human potential.

Style: uplifting arcs, before/after storytelling, empowering calls to action.

6. Nostalgia / melancholy 

Context: retro playlists, memory-sharing, old-school aesthetics.

Brand play: tap into heritage, comfort, continuity.

Style: warm tones, vintage callbacks, slower pacing.

7. Outrage / righteous anger 

Context: activism TikToks, political commentary.

Brand play: tread carefully—align authentically or offer a solution.

Style: bold, urgent, rallying cry energy.

8. Awe / transcendence 

Context: nature docs, space content, live performances.

Brand play: evoke scale, vision, possibility.

Style: cinematic visuals, soaring language, grandeur.

The next great campaigns of the world won’t come from brands that outspend or out-target.

They’ll come from brands that can read the room. Who can sense the emotional current of a moment and ride it without breaking the spell. It’s not just what people are watching, but how they’re feeling while they watch it, and then knowing how to slip your brand message seamlessly into that emotional current.

If your brand can’t do that, it won’t matter how many impressions you bought. You’ll just be another interruption in someone’s feed. And we are so done with interruptions, babe. 

-Sophie Randell, Writer