A few of my favorite things

Like the rest of the country, and especially those in North Carolina, I've been glued to the TV, watching March Madness. North Carolinians go crazy over their college basketball, and having gone to an ACC school, I've now become a part of this culture. I love Wake, hate Carolina, and am indifferent about Duke. It doesn't help that most of the people at the firm I work in graduated from Carolina. My week would be complete if Carolina lost today...

...but I digress. Because I'm glued to the TV, I've watched a lot of commercials. Some of them aren't confined to the March Madness season, but I just haven't seen a whole lot of commercials until now. There are two that stick out: the new Marine commerical and a Nike commercial, both of which are below.

I like the Marine commercial (other than the bias of my father being a Marine Colonel) because it's moving and inspirational. And every time I watch it, I notice something different. It wasn't until the third time that I realized they are spanning the United States, from Times Square, the mid-America, to San Fran. And it's not just the big cities, it's the small towns. The music, the uniforms, the landscape. It's just a very effective commercial. I've read somewhere once before that the Marines have the smallest advertising budget of the branches, but are the most effective in recruiting, dollar for dollar. I don't know who their ad agency is, but I think they put out some great stuff, overall.

The Nike commercial is kind of similar to the Marine one. I'm probably biased again because Chris Paul is in the commerical. But it really speaks to hard work and dedication of teams and individuals. The idea that, while everyone wants to win, it's those who put in the blood, sweat, and tears that are able to overcome even those favored to win. And that that work starts at an individual level. What's effective about this commercial is that there is no voice-over - just the chiming and the images.

Enjoy!