In a colorful chocolate factory, Willy Wonka spots a mechanical butterfly he believes is a spy. He panics about someone stealing his secret recipes.
Next to him, a ServiceNow representative stays calm. She uses a tablet to create a “Custom Digital Workflow” for “Insect Spy Detection” in real time.
Wonka’s chaos is solved instantly with a clean, digital solution. The ad ends with the line: “ServiceNow. Let’s workflow it.”
The Formula (That Works at Any Budget)
Painful truth: Complexity exists in every business.
Even in a magical factory, there are risks, delays, and problems to manage.
→ Lesson: Show that every company, no matter how unique, needs structure and control.
Metaphor: The “spy” as a business threat.
The mechanical butterfly represents risks like data breaches or lost IP.
→ Lesson: Use simple, visual metaphors to explain complex problems.
Single punchline: “Let’s workflow it.”
The brand becomes an action. ServiceNow is positioned as the thing that solves the problem.
→ Lesson: Turn your product into a clear, memorable action.
Humor Breakdown
The humor comes from contrast. Wonka is frantic and dramatic. The ServiceNow rep is calm and precise. His fantasy world clashes with her simple, modern solution. This makes the software feel fast, powerful, and almost magical.
→ Lesson: Place your product in a chaotic setting to highlight how easily it solves problems.
Final Verdict
ServiceNow uses a well-known character to make enterprise software easy to understand. The contrast between chaos and control is clear and effective.
The ad feels fun, fast, and simple. It shows that even the most unusual problems can be solved with the right workflow.
BRAVE-o-meter Score
B-8 | R-7 | A-8 | V-8 | E-7
BRAVE – 7.6/10
Watch the full ad & learn more:
Website: servicenow.com
LinkedIn: ServiceNow on LinkedIn
