HubSpot’s “Spread Too Thin” ad humorously highlights the chaotic and overwhelming life of a small business owner trying to juggle everything. Through relatable scenarios, the ad effectively underscores the difficulties faced by entrepreneurs who handle marketing, sales, and customer support all at once. By showcasing the struggle, HubSpot presents its software as the perfect solution to streamline operations and ease the burden.
The Formula (That Works at Any Budget):
Exaggerated Chaos = Instant Relatability – The ad opens with a small business owner overwhelmed by tasks: from answering calls to updating spreadsheets to dealing with marketing and sales. This exaggerated chaos quickly establishes the pain point many entrepreneurs face.
→ Lesson: Tap into your audience’s frustration with exaggerated scenarios to build instant relatability.
Humor Through Overwhelm = Immediate Engagement – The ad builds humor through the absurdity of the business owner’s day: managing multiple tasks at once, each more ridiculous than the last. The situation spirals out of control, adding a comedic effect.
→ Lesson: Use humor to show the pain of a real struggle, making it both relatable and entertaining.
HubSpot as the Solution = Simple and Efficient – Just as the business owner is about to lose control, HubSpot swoops in, offering an integrated solution that helps manage tasks and simplify processes.
→ Lesson: Position your product as the calming force amid the chaos, showing how it helps solve a real problem.
Contrast = Clear Value – The ad contrasts the frantic, disorganized life of the business owner with the calm, controlled world that HubSpot enables.
→ Lesson: Highlight the before-and-after scenario to emphasize your product’s effectiveness.
Humor Breakdown:
The humor in this ad comes from the escalating absurdity of the business owner’s multitasking. As they try to juggle an impossible number of tasks, things get progressively worse, making the viewer laugh while empathizing with the situation. This build-up of frustration makes the resolution, with HubSpot stepping in to save the day, even more satisfying.
Final Verdict:
HubSpot nails the small business pain point with humor and relatability. By exaggerating the overwhelming tasks entrepreneurs face and positioning its software as the solution, HubSpot effectively presents itself as the tool that can streamline operations and restore order to the chaos of small business life.
Brave-o-meter score:
B-8 | R-9 | A-8 | V-8 | E-9
BRAVE – 8.4/10
Watch the full ad & learn more:
Website: HubSpot
LinkedIn: HubSpot
