The ad opens with people struggling through complex, manual business tasks in an “Automation Off” world. A man is overwhelmed at a whiteboard. A woman panics on the phone. Another is buried under crashing data screens. These scenes feel all too real.
Then the tone shifts. The ad imagines absurd, magical ways these people wish they could solve their problems: conjuring solutions like a wizard, multitasking with six arms, or seeing their data physically explode.
Finally, the “Automation On” world kicks in. The same people now succeed effortlessly—summoning a unicorn, juggling tasks with ease, winning awards while data soars. The voiceover ties it all together:
“It’s all possible with automation.”
The Formula (That Works at Any Budget)
Painful Truth = Manual work is overwhelming
The ad shows realistic pain points—overloaded teams, messy data, time constraints.
→ Lesson: Visualize real frustration to hook your audience with shared experience.
Dramatization = Surreal magic vs. real results
Wizard powers and multi-limbed workers bring humor to impossible expectations. Then Zapier’s automation delivers real-world solutions.
→ Lesson: Use visual metaphors to heighten contrast between problem and solution.
One-Line Payoff = “It’s all possible with automation”
The ad ties every visual back to a single, benefit-driven message: automation makes the impossible doable.
→ Lesson: Keep your CTA crisp, memorable, and focused on the transformation.
Humor Breakdown
The humor stems from exaggerated scenarios—wizard spells, multiple arms, unicorns. It’s funny because it taps into what people wish they had to keep up. The transformation from “Automation Off” to “Automation On” provides the payoff.
→ Lesson: Make business pain points funny by exaggerating them, then solve them clearly.
Final Verdict
Zapier nails the contrast between chaos and control. By dramatizing how impossible work can feel without automation, and pairing it with surreal humor, the ad creates a memorable pitch. The message is clear: Zapier makes you feel like a superhero by handling the hard stuff behind the scenes.
BRAVE-o-meter Score
B-7 | R-9 | A-8 | V-7 | E-8
BRAVE – 7.8/10
Watch the full ad & learn more:
Website: Zapier
LinkedIn: Zapier on LinkedIn
