With social media advertising on the rise, tighter budgets and the changing face of visual communication, what makes an effective television ad in 2014?

If you happen to go to one of the Night of the Ad Eaters which has been delighting advertising professionals (and fans) since 1981 or watch ads on TV or on YouTube, you'll notice certain traits that make an ad a hit...or a waste of space.

Here are some traits that make an ad golden in our modern times. An effective ad:

Puts you in the shoes of the other

Plays on emotion (with a mega dose of cuteness)

Uses well-known movies and pop culture for inspiration

And yes, plays with obvious references to well-know movies and elements of pop culture

Taps into our current obsession with horror (then again, if you watched the last two ads, you must have already guessed this)

Uses humor

Creates an odd situation by placing the wrong person in the wrong setting

Has an unexpected twist

Uses the power of plain silliness and cheesiness (sometimes bad can be good)

Did we mention that bad can be good?

Opts for epic length (why settle for 30 seconds when you can go on for minutes on end)

Promotes a cause and has a call to action

What traits do you think make an ad effective today?