Pure Imagination

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOl4OzcyKK4

The link posted above will take you to what is likely the best image campaign I've seen in quite a long time (aside from those awesome hamsters in the Kia ads). It starts out in a child's room with a toy chest and a little robot and slowly shows us a busy street. The commercial takes us on a tour through what I believe is New York City, but features what look to be animated paper cutouts drawn by a child. We then settle on a younger man sitting on a bench wearing a suit. He looks sad and glum, clearly things are not going his way. However, we then we hear the words "Remember when you were five and everything was possible? Happy fifth birthday again." Wow! As if the nostalgia and imagery weren't enough, we hear Gene Wilder in the background singing "Pure Imagination" from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Aside from AT&T (almost forgot to mention whose ad it is!) pimping their sponsorship of the 2010 Masters you seen the words "rethink possible."
This whole commercial works for me on so many levels. The music, the imagery, the message. The first time I saw it I was at work and it really got me thinking about where things were and where I wanted to take them in my life. That may or may not have been the intention of the ad, but the fact that I'm still thinking about it a month later and even blogging about it speaks volumes about the spot.
Nostalgia is a powerful powerful POWERFUL thing folks. That's why politicians are so hellbent on it. The past is familiar, the past is safe, the past is happy. Even reading that word probably brought up a distant memory or two. Assuming you had a happy childhood, this commercial brought back some very fond memories. The crude, yet charming animations come in all kinds. We see bug-eyed monsters, spaceships, flying fish drawn from a child's perspective. The music from a movie many of us hold dear to our hearts (except me, that scene in the tunnel with everything eating each other freaked me out), and that haunting message wishing us a happy fifth birthday and urging us to "rethink possible." It tells us everything is possible. RETHINK what is possible. That's what AT&T wants you to believe they are doing. I urge them to go for it in whatever they are doing (you never really find out). If an image spot like this is any indication of what they're up to, we may be able to assume they know exactly what customers want.

America the beautiful

Happy 4th of July everyone. Normally, I write something involving social media or public relations, and believe you me, I have a lot to update some of you on. However, today is the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. This was the day 234 years ago some of the most brilliant minds of their time set into motion what would become the greatest experiment in democracy the world had ever witnessed. The odds against our founding fathers was incredibly staggering. The Continental Army was not a group of soldiers. Many of them had never held a weapon before and yet, they managed to topple the most powerful army in the world. That takes guts, that takes determination, that takes hard work my friends.
Throughout the years, America has become the epitome of hard work. We have, through blood, sweat and tears become the superpower we are today. It is important that we remember that through hard work, the fruits of our labor are so much sweeter. We should remember who we are and the principles this country was built upon.
I could go into the darker chapters of our nation's history and maybe I should. I won't. Today is the day we celebrate this great nation of ours and stand up proudly to declare "I am an American." Try to remember what that used to mean, what it still means to some, what it should mean to many more.