The SECRET of An Ad That ADDS Up
Travelling on treadmills is a way of life when my keynote speaking business has me on the road. Although I prefer the aerobic walk through whatever city or town I am in, when it is a dark and/or stormy night or day, I hit the hotel treadmill. I have been known to practice my speeches out loud in empty fitness rooms. Or maybe they are empty because I am 'talking to myself'. Often enough I will watch TV to pass the time as I "go nowhere" for 30 minutes.
While the TV shows are often informative or entertaining, it's the commercials that can be captivating. During the recent Super Bowl, I had matinee tickets to the San Francisco Ballet and was TORN. The truth is that I love the Super Bowl of Ads. Solution: tape the game and fast forward through it to watch the commercials. And I did watch some of the game because Da Bears were playing and I am a native Chicagoan with many family members and friends who are fans.
So there I was on a treadmill at the Omni in Atlanta when my new favorite commercial --- for the Royal Bank of Scotland ---rolled. It's a satire on the "positive attitude" feeding frenzy that is a growth industry here in the US of A. I cracked up as I watched it.
Four people who have just attended a business conference are in a cable car that is going UP to their destination when the car lurches and begins to descend. They become scared and one of the conference attendees pipes up with, (I'm paraphrasing) "We must have a positive attitude...I just took a seminar on it. All of us must think positive thoughts." As they begin to do so and "ACT POSITIVE" (or positively foolish), one of the men sees a button and flips it. The cable car then reverses direction and continues its ascent. The "purveyor of " positive attitude" takes all the credit. The ad continues with a narrator who says, "Talking is no substitute for action." Brilliant.
Positive attitude is good as long as we continue to have reality checks which may reveal something NOT positive that we need to know. Positive attitude is good as long as it's accompanied by positive action. That ad sums up the real SECRET: "Talking is no substitute for action."
And your Secret thoughts??? Susan@SusanRoAne.com
Susan,
"The Secret" combined with "The War of Art" - a winning combination. It's the Law of Attraction coupled with ACTION! I recommend these books as a set!
Donna Cutting
Posted by: Donna Cutting | July 14, 2007 at 02:03 PM