Guess the Emotion. Face Whisperer Teaches.

This is one of my favourite examples of when a brand gets the facial expression and messaging just right! In this context, the facial expression used is ‘contempt’ and is spot on. The expression plays on consumer superiority—in other words, there’s nothing wrong with running like a girl. 

When using the contempt facial expression, it needs to be very carefully done in brand images as it’s a cold and alienating emotion in some contexts. This is the Bodyform brand’s homepage image. If you’ve been following me for a while, you’ll know that this is one of my least favourite expressions…

Neutral facial expression = Nothing.

The dictionary definition of neutral is “not assisting or supporting.” It is a missed opportunity to engage the audience. A better emotion to express would be pride, satisfaction, or contentment. Using one of those emotions would result in 3 x more engagement!

Emotional facial expressions are extremely complex in their use and meaning… It is far too simplistic to say there are just 7 universal emotions and to leave it at that! Take happiness, for example, recent research has found there are 17 ways it can be shown on the face, not just one.

We change the type of happiness we convey by adjusting the size of our smile, those laughter lines that appear around our eyes and combining those smiles with other emotions and context to show an almost endless emotional mix… I told you they were complex!

Guess the Emotion Face Whisperer Teaches iv

What emotion do you see in the above image? How does it make you feel? What muscle movements of the face do you notice?

Do you recall the last time you left a meeting thinking, “I have no idea how that went?”

For my retained clients, this feeling is now a thing of the past! They either invite me along to the meeting to be a silent observer or they recall key moments that they’ve noticed and I help them decipher what it all means.

Here are some body language basics to look out for in your next meeting:

  • The one-sided shoulder shrug = They aren’t fully committed.
  • Scratching the neck = The person is having doubts or disagrees.
  • Feet direction = Where the feet are pointing is where the person wants to be…

 

Have you got some important meetings coming up and you’d like my help either to prepare, be present, or help you decode them? Just give me a shout.

I haven’t written much on the Amber Heard and Johnny Depp libel case, but I thought I’d share an opinion based on what I saw for the benefit of all who have asked me about it.

Guess the Emotion Face Whisperer Teaches ii

Both are actors, but Johnny came across as a lot more stable and believable in his body language and facial expressions. His mask and demeanour didn’t slip once; he never made us feel he might be ‘acting’.

Amber Heard was described by some of the jurors as having ‘crocodile tears’ when giving her testimony. I take their point; some of her facial expressions just didn’t tie in with what she was saying or were over-exaggerated emotionally.

Some of the biggest giveaways for me were the facial shrugs (see image above) she often pulled and the nose wrinkling of disgust when recounting some experiences.

There is no single sign of lying, and I am not suggesting this was the case, but there were definitely times during her evidence when I don’t think we got the full truth…