# Humanizing Technology Ads GE's 'What Matters' Campaign Shows How Its Products Affect Lives By Justin Lam | Published 2018-02-12 | Marketing Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/what-matters References: [adweek](http://www.adweek.com/creativity/ge-humanizes-its-technology-in-what-matters-campaign-from-bbdo/) & [youtube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zs50FL9lC9w) General Electric's 'What Matters' campaign is looking to humanize technology by showing how it affects our lives. The campaign currently features four commercials, all of which were produced by [BBDO](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/accessible-customer-service) New York. These spots explore the use of [GE](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/made-for-this) innovations across aviation, healthcare and power generation. The overarching theme of the ads seems to focus on human aspect of technological innovation and were shown during [NBC's](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/nbcuniversals-primetime-specials) coverage of the 2018 Winter Olympics. A version that uses all the commercials has been released by GE and carries the same message of the individual ads. BBDO New York found out quickly that people are often uninterested in how GE innovates, so the group instead focused on all the amazing things GE does for people; it used each spot to show how each innovation made a difference in human lives and did so through the use of simple, but relatable stories. The What Matters ads follow a successful style of commercials, ones that humanize large companies and focus purely on consumers' interactions with products. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 1.5/10 - Popularity: 9% | Activity: 27% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe, Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Marketing](https://www.trendhunter.com/marketing) > [Commercials](https://www.trendhunter.com/commercials) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Humanizing Technology:** Advertisers are focusing on human stories to showcase how technology impacts our lives. - **Innovation in Aviation:** The use of GE innovations in aviation presents opportunities for disruptive advancements in the industry. - **Enhancing Healthcare:** The application of GE technology in healthcare opens up possibilities for disruptive improvements in the industry. ### Who This Affects Most - **Advertising:** Ad agencies can explore human-centric storytelling as a disruptive approach in advertising campaigns. - **Aviation:** Aviation companies can leverage GE innovations to drive disruptive changes in the industry. - **Healthcare:** Healthcare providers can adopt GE technology to create disruptive innovations in patient care and treatment. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Human Connection-Centric Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/keep-commerce-human.md) - [AI-Centric Brand Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/chatgpts-first-major-brand.md) - [AI-Crafted Banking Ads](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ai-ads-by-bank.md) - [Creative Music-Based Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/music-deserves-bose.md) - [Feel-Good Ad Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/make-life-brighter.md) - [Human Connection-Emphasizing Radio Initiatives](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/radio-optimism.md) - [AI-Assisted Business Ads](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/50-states-50-stories.md) - [Human-Centric Bank Branding Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/more-human.md) - [AI Marketing Storytelling](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/coca-cola-ai.md)