Robert's PlayGround

The difference between a brand and a politician

Is it a coincidence? Or is it Will-I-Am's music video tribute that boosted Barack Obama's race for the Oval Office so that he overtook Hilary in the past few days with one victory after another? I think this case is another compelling illustration of the difference between a product and a brand. Where Hilary is trying to convince her fellow Americans by repeating rational arguments for the fact that she will make a better president, Barack Obama addresses the heart. John F Kennedy meets Martin Luther King - I guess there's no better proposition for a wounded nation. See the music video. It's scored over 7 million views so far... Hilary eat your heart out.

One song is worth 1,000 words

Apart from the fact that the enchanting sound of this commercial commands my attention every single time I hear it, it makes me wonder. Would this commercial be as strong with different music?

Charitainment to charivolvement

If you wanted to recruit supporters for your charity, you would try and make the good cause urgent and personally relevant to your audience. The latter still holds true. However, if your audience are young people, there is a fair chance that beating the drum of urgency and drama will scare them away. It’s a bit like Richard Huntingdon’s better advice to young planners: be interesting first and right second. It works in two steps. Offer a strong piece of magnetic content first (charitainment), then try and engage them in whatever it is that you do (charivolvement). You will only succeed if the bait is well intertwined with food for thought and calls for activism. As a charity you need to be cool as a license to connect. Dance4Life understood that quite well and I’ve spotted a prominent follower: Amnesty International. Yoko Ono gave them the rights to John Lennon Music (activism beyond the grave…) And 180 smartly simple turned that into a contemporary concept by inviting cool bands to cover Lennon songs and offer them for download on a microsite.

Friendly virus

Dance4Life is a movement that engages youth in the fight against HIV/AIDS by addressing them in a language they all understand: dance. The song performed by the youth in this film is based on the song written and performed by DJ Tiësto and sung by Maxi Jazz. In a way Dance4Life intends to counter HIV/AIDS with an 'equal weapon'- by spreading its message from person to person... indeed: like a virus, but then a friendly one.

Hate something, change something

Excellence cannot be shown too much. This commercial demonstrates pretty much everything that I think makes great advertising. A story rather than a claim. True insight. Fresh insight. Unconventional, engaging execution. Beautiful picture. Great music. Whit. And worth watching over and over and over again. Although one exposure does the trick already. I think even sceptic consumers would want to see this stuff more often.