Ad Idea #1: "We keep it cold, you make it yours"

Development of idea:

In my little kitchen that I share with two flatmates in North London, I sat appreciating that - despite the less than ideal state of the wall paint and flooring (got to love the landlord special!) - we really managed to make the space bright and homey. With the winter sunlight pouring through the window and hitting our humble refrigerator, I admired all of the very personal ornaments we three uni friends decorated it with - from wedding favours, to holiday magnets, to drunk photo-booth pictures, to shopping lists. I reflected on this cute but weird human tradition to embellish and beautify our fridges (why not the dishwasher or kitchen backsplash?) and noted that at the centre - or might I say the heart - of our creation, the Bosch logo shone through. Hmmm (ding ding ding!) - what a great premise for an ad.

(my humble Bosch fridge, the rare winter sunlight not featured)

Contemporary examples & analysis:

From a surface level search - this idea has not yet been executed (but pls correct me if I'm wrong!). One thing I've noticed from the ads out there today is the persistence of insisting on portraying the fridge as a futuristic, engineering marvel. Most good brands make good fridges that keep foods cold and have functionality that suits the consumer. A cool new feature is always exciting (like a touch screen ice dispenser - are those still cool?). However, the ads I found indicate that companies are relying on small (and sometimes, quite random) differences to distinguish their devices from another. My theory is that this rat race will leave consumers confused, exhausted and relying on emotional brand loyalty to incentivise purchase. People go for what they know.

Find below some examples of ads I've seen out there.

"Our fridge can run forever!"

"Our fridge can connect to your smartphone!"

"We've decreased the amount you bend over by 90%!"

Which brand have I owned before? Which brand do I recognise? Coupled with the novelty of the approach, I think emphasising the family/community/home aspect and drawing on the sentimentality of the refrigerator rather than its function will be well-received by consumers. Who else hasn't been upset when their trusty family fridge stops working and needs to be replaced - just me? Well alright then.

Execution:

There's plenty you can do with the fridge magnet narrative. Every family has personal memorabilia on their refrigerator. Pictures, children's drawings, report cards, letters, holiday souvenirs, party invites, postcards and more.

(1) Montage of different e.g. Bosch fridges embellished with personal keepsakes from different households. From a wider shot slowing getting closer to the logo with each different fridge, narrowing down until it is a close-up. At the beginning it is day and by the end it is night - fridge door opens turning the inside light on and a hand takes a midnight snack from within. "We keep it cold, you make it yours"

(2) Same idea as before, but this time it can follow a family throughout the years. Montage of slowly added new items: "Happy new home" card, "Save the date for our wedding" invite, honeymoon souvenir, my condolences card, "I love you - good luck today" note get put up & taken down, ultrasound picture, birth magnet keepsake. In this edition, after closing in on the Bosch logo, fridge door opens and a parent holding their baby is reaching for pumped milk for a midnight feed. "We keep it cold, you make it yours"

(3) The above examples would make a great Christmas ad as well, can show the seasons changing behind the fridge, decorations starting to go up, tinsel over the appliance, a new Christmas kitten adding some fresh scratches on the door, clumsy child spilling ice and kicking it under the fridge - basically lots of opportunities to show the real, human side of having a family fridge coupled with the sentimentality of the holiday season.

(4) Can come up with a hashtag, inviting consumers to post their own family fridges e.g. #BoschMakeitYours

Further ideas:

Another idea that came from this originates from the use of the fridge as a notice board. In turn, this ad could instead be a less-sentimental play at this phenomenon, perhaps a comedic take e.g. a parent leaves a note left on the fridge that gets ignored by the child opening the door gunning for a snack. The note gets moved around, made bigger etc. as the days go by culminating in some funny finale where the child finds it or the parent has to step in and show them ("Bosch: We're only responsible for what's on the inside.")