Clicker bait: The Last Of Us, Carl Jung and the connective power of fear

I’ll level with you - fear isn’t the easiest theme for an op-ed. And yet as my brain bounced moth-like against the dim bulb of inspiration, there was one thing burning brightly in the peripheries. A painfully-obvious place in popular culture where fear is currently writ large. No prizes for guessing the blockbusting show in question…

Sure, The Last of Us is a ‘scary’ zombie show, but its characters trade fear as a form of emotional currency in a fundamentally more meaningful way. For example, when Ellie gets asked by a younger character, "how is it that you never look scared?"... she quips "Let’s see - scorpions are pretty scary" (and then opens up) "Being by myself. I am scared of ending up alone." In this moment they bond and we are shown the positive power of fear to connect rather than simply to scare.

Psychoanalyst and famed Freud-botherer, Carl Jung, believed that identifying with our own trauma results in empathy that helps us better connect with (and help) others in need: "It is our own hurt that gives the measure of our power to heal." I can’t help hearing echoes of this in HBO’s show. It’s a post-apocalyptic world which does its best to dehumanise its cast - both literally and figuratively. And yet our characters resist this fate by connecting through fear which in turn, enables them to ‘Endure & Survive’. 

Why don’t we see fear being used more frequently [in advertising] as a source of empathy and human connection?

Of course, this hits a crescendo when Joel tries to send Ellie away and she explodes: "Everyone I have cared for has either died or left me… so don't tell me I would be safer with somebody else, because the truth is I would just be more scared." Her fear of being alone is bound to the very reason that Joel wants to abandon her - his own fear of not being able to keep her safe. Joel's eventual acquiescence - "It's OK, baby girl. I got you" - seems paternal but actually marks the moment when they help each other do more than endure and survive, but actually begin healing. 

Jung would be pleased.

Above: The Last Of Us' Ellie admits to being scared in a moment of connection with a younger character [spoilers for S1E5]

So all of this begs the question - why don’t we see fear being used more frequently as a source of empathy and human connection? Especially in the world of ads where (if we’re to believe the big brains at the IPA) emotional resonance is the keystone of building long-term brand love?
Don’t get me wrong - we’ve seen whiffs of it. 

Lucky Generals’ 2018 Under Armour work with Anthony Joshua - Your Greatest Opponent is You - used shadowboxing as a metaphor for facing your fears. It was a fresh, if still very strident and masculine, approach which never really sees the boxer drop his emotional guard.

More often than not, star athletes are used as totemistic symbols of success. What if these athletes came clean about what scared them shitless on their journey?

Sports/athletic wear is a perfect example though; a category rooted in inspiring ordinary people to push themselves, hit goals and maybe even achieve greatness. And yet, more often than not, star athletes are used as totemistic symbols of success. What if these athletes came clean about what scared them shitless on their journey? Wouldn’t the audience identify with these fears and realise that it’s possible to succeed in spite of these emotions? Surely that’s more motivational.

Above: Anthony Joshua faces his fears in Lucky Generals’ 2018 Under Armour work Your Greatest Opponent is You.

Financial services is another biggie; especially at a time where the cost of living and potential recession continue to loom large. Studies have shown that people in the UK are more scared to talk about their personal finances at a dinner party than they are about their sex life. It’s the ultimate taboo and one that can promote financial illiteracy or just the good old-fashioned sticking of one’s head in the sand.

Studies have shown that people in the UK are more scared to talk about their personal finances at a dinner party than they are about their sex life.

Liam Saint-Pierre, through VCCP, directed a rather lovely ident as part of Nationwide’s 2022 Conversations series that features two men talking candidly about their money concerns. It’s an unassuming and yet deceptively effective piece, mainly because of how unusual it is to hear one grown man admit, out loud, to another that he doesn’t want to have to "choose food over fuel."

Again, it’s a subtle exploration of fear but also shows how even a little can go a long way in terms of empathy and emotional resonance.