A couple of years ago an advert persuaded me to buy a pressure cooker, which surprised me, because I usually ignore adverts completely. I'm a junior doctor in Lahore, and I'd just moved into my first flat alone.
I saw the advert while scrolling on my phone late one night after a long shift. It was a short video, about thirty seconds, showing a young woman in hospital scrubs coming home exhausted. She throws some meat, lentils and spices into a pressure cooker, has a shower, and when she comes back, a steaming pot of daal is ready. Then she sits down with a big smile and the line 'real food, no time' appeared on the screen. It didn't show any famous people or make huge claims, it was just very simple and quite realistic.
I think it persuaded me because it was perfectly targeted at my situation. At that time, I was surviving on takeaway and instant noodles because I was too tired to cook after twelve-hour shifts, and I felt guilty about it, especially as a doctor. The woman in the advert was basically me, even down to the scrubs. It also solved a problem I hadn't really put into words. I didn't need a cookbook or a cooking class, I needed something fast. And honestly, the timing helped. Seeing it at midnight, hungry and tired, made me much more open to buying something. I ordered it the next morning. The good news is that I actually use it three or four times a week, so it's one of the few things I've bought from an advert that I don't regret.