Bringing Good Things to Light

CLICK HERE FOR BARBARA LIPPERT'S PODCAST.One of three high-spirited GE commercials breaking during the Olympics, "Discus" makes no attempt to be historically accurate. That's good, since I'm pretty sure that in Greek mythology there was no god of washboard abs.[jwplayer BSURup0y-1kT9Z8rj] Had such a deity descended from Mount Olympus (maybe call him Pec-acles?), he might have resembled the spot's tan, muscular star, who happens to be wearing an adorable little skirt. Actually, maybe it's not so off the mark; during the earliest Olympic Games in Greece some of the male contenders not only oiled their bodies to make their skin more appealing, but also competed in the nude.But before we get to the commercial itself -- which entertains with an unexpected ending (classic BBDO) -- let's talk about some tough political realities. China, of course, is in the midst of a transformation into the super-consumerist center of the 21st-century economy. (There's a connection here between GE and China in that GE had to transform itself from an old-line industrial company into one befitting the tagline "ecoimagination," which it launched in 2004.) But given its deplorable record on, among other things, human rights, freedom of the press and the environment, what's an advertiser to do?The Olympics-where we watch the triumphs and the struggles of the world's best athletes-are stirring and uplifting no matter where they're held. They not only provide a platform for national pride, but also for some much needed global kumbaya. (Kudos to Visa's tagline, "Go world!")Within this context, it's a great opportunity for marketers to create the kind of sweeping, emotional branding that makes viewers feel good, as opposed to the messages about saving money that tend to run during a lousy economy.OK, back to Mount Olympus. Six-pack dude makes a huge throw and the toga-clad crowd erupts. Then the wind kicks up and we see the discus take an odd turn to the right, where it hits one of the massive columns of a Parthenon-like temple. The whole structure crumbles, ending up in ruins, as Mr. Discus gives an embarrassed little wave to the crowd. "Wind hasn't always played a helpful role at the Olympic Games," the announcer says. "Wind energy by GE, helping to power the Beijing Games, no matter which way the wind blows."It's rather broad and old-timey, even campy, but as with GE's best corporate-image advertising -- including last year's spot showing a boy catching wind in a jar-it turns hard-to-explain technology into something entertaining. The second commercial, "Dragon," set in China, tells the story of biogas technology -- a mighty hard job. It opens on children with backpacks filled with grass and straw trekking up a mountain over Crouching Tiger-type music. It's a beautiful, verdant trip (it also looks like the one we've seen for Snapple Green Tea). They reach the top by nightfall and offer their mulch to a dragon who, to use a 21st-century term, is fierce. He gobbles up the fiber and it would appear his acid reflux is also fierce, because he starts breathing fire. This heats a water basket, which in turn heats rods that reach the village below so the people can enjoy a communal hot bath like a group of '70s swingers."Turning organic waste into energy is no longer the stuff of legend," the announcer says. "Biogas technology is helping make the world a little brighter." It ends with a beautiful shot of a lit-up city during what looks like a Chinese New Year celebration, with red dragon puppets in the foreground. Who knew biogas could be such a jovial subject?My favorite of the three, "Crane," is the simplest. It uses the metaphor of a crane taking flight to promote GE aircraft engines. As the crane takes off, we hear the air traffic controller: "Tower, China 77 proceeding on 2." As our bird-friend soars, the voiceover says, "Imagine a way to fly that not only saves millions of gallons of fuel, but actually reduces emissions." The final joke is a real crack-up: We see a line of cranes waiting on a runway. One cocks his head to see why there's a backup. "We'll be on our way as soon as this ground traffic clears," the announcer says, as a line of turtles cross.These spots do double duty; they're guaranteed to please the crowds and will present GE as a future-thinking, environmentally focused corporate citizen of the world. (By the way, GE is not only an international sponsor, it also owns the company -- NBC Universal -- that's showing 3,500 hours of live and on-demand Olympic video.)It can't hurt GE that it will also have much on-site advertising at the games, including an interactive, hands-on "Imagination Center" that's expected to host 6,000 visitors a day.And after all, in terms of polluters turning green, China is the ultimate proving ground for GE's ecoimagination.

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Bringing Good Things to Light

Barbara Lippert

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Barbara Lippert