Every week, Amárach and Future Proof Insights share exclusive findings from their PRIZM+ ad testing service, showcasing best practice creative advertising in Ireland.

Bord Gáis Energy’s “Need More Zenergy?” ad cleverly repositions domestic chaos as a solvable problem, using humour and familiarity to frame unnecessary energy consumption at peak hours as a daft idea, using therapy sessions as a humorous lens to expose it.

The concept of a former relationship counsellor made redundant by energy harmony is both unexpected and effective.

This therapy format provides the perfect platform to dramatise the relatable, exaggerated scenes of household conflict.

Humour is cleverly applied as the delivery device for associative learning.

By repeatedly linking energy usage to ironic conflict, and smart plans to peace, the brain starts to internalise the link between the product and harmony.

The more the pattern is repeated, the easier it becomes to retrieve. This makes the concept memorable without being didactic.

The ad opens with steady engagement. But it’s the exaggerated flashbacks, dishwasher disputes, EV shaming and all, that drive up emotional arousal and memorisation.

The humour invites empathic simulation, a cognitive effect where viewers mentally project themselves into another person’s experience.

In this case, the exaggerated but familiar family arguments prompt viewers to recognise elements of their own lives.

That recognition creates empathy, and the act of interpreting the scene, spotting who's right, who's overreacting, generates a subtle internal reward.

The brain enjoys solving these low-stakes domestic puzzles, which deepens both engagement and memorability.

A small watchpoint lies in the middle segments, where cognitive load briefly pushes beyond the optimal threshold.

This is a common risk when multiple narratives or character threads are presented simultaneously. In this case, it is managed as effectively as possible, with the load returning to optimal levels quickly and not significantly disrupting processing.

One potential solution would be to streamline the dialogue or refine and fine-tune the transitions in such a way that it reduces the level of cognitive effort to re-engage in the subsequent scene.

The final moments resolve things cleanly. The counsellor’s resigned peace, paired with a visible brand logo and tagline, coincides with lowered cognitive load and a rise in memorisation.

It’s a well-timed pivot from story to product. The viewer’s brain is open and receptive at just the right time.

From a short-term behavioural perspective, we can see that the creative is effective at generating motivation, the clever framing of the product as a solution clearly lands by the idea that smart plans improve daily life.

Capability is also high, as the concept is easy to digest and comprehend.

Interestingly, opportunity is less developed. The ad stops short of making smart plans feel widely adopted or socially normal.

Future iterations and extensions of this concept could incorporate subtle cues of group uptake to address this.

Segment analysis reveals stronger performance among older and female viewers, likely due to relatability with the protagonist and domestic themes. 

This trend is further supported by COM-B demographic data, which shows that older adults and women exhibit higher motivation and capability scores, likely reflecting stronger resonance with the protagonist and household decision-making themes.

Meanwhile, younger males show lower behavioural impact, possibly due to lower personal relevance. Targeted variants that emphasise control, tech features, or savings through smarter energy habits could improve cut-through with this audience.

In the end, Bord Gáis Energy delivers a smart twist on a familiar problem. The ad turns energy usage into a social issue worth solving and uses humour to embed that message.

 For more insights from PRIZM+ on how neuroscience drives advertising impact, visit: https://www.futureproofinsights.ie/prizm-plus/