Are you okay with just being “human?”

When you were born, the doctor declared, “It’s a boy!” or “It’s a girl!,” and your height, weight, eye color, hair color and every distinguishable factor that made you “you” was written into the record books.  You were given a name.  Your parents began dreaming, set some goals and started you down a pathway 18 years long that they believed would ultimately produce the you “You” were destined to be. You were given a great gift at birth … an identity.

Identity — (n.) the distinct personality of an individual regarded as a persisting entity.  In other words, the stuff that makes you different from the next guy.  It’s all of those things written into your baby book and then some —  race, religion, mannerisms, personality… it’s EVERYTHING.

Seems like a really important thing, right?  Something we’d want to protect? Then, why is it that so often in our world of marketing and advertising, many are willing to compromise their identities to be everything to everyone?

Whether print, web or just plain messaging, a strong identity will live longer, gain more respect and shine brighter.   A strong identity will establish trust and loyalty in an audience.  Sounds great!  The big catch is that we have to be okay with who we are because it’s impossible to be loved by everyone and that’s not easy to swallow.  That said, to compromise uniqueness and qualities that distinguish us from the next guy just to please a larger percentage of

"The Human Being"

the population only serves to dilute what it is that makes us special.  I’m not ready to do that, are you?

A fantastic (and really funny) example of how being everything to everybody does NOT work comes in the form of the Greendale Community College (GCC) mascot, seen every Thursday night on NBC‘s, “Community“.   In an episode call “Football, Feminism and You,” the school set out to develop a mascot that was representative of the entire student body, including age, race, culture and religious beliefs.  What was intended to be a figure the students would embrace ended up being void of anything.  Seriously, they call it the “Human Being.”

As marketing and creative professionals, we owe it to our clients to deliver solid, effective collateral versus just  “human beings.”    Even if they scream and kick for PC content that will please the masses, we need to reassure, respect and encourage their IDENTITY.   Take the risk with your clients and continue to remind them (and ourselves) that confidence does not come without its fair share of fear.   Risk at least offers a chance of yielding reward, while playing it safe will keep us … well, safe.

Today, I challenge us all to produce work that has a voice, to embrace identities and let them be reflected honestly, to be proud and not apologetic.  No more “human beings.” 🙂

Cheers – Heather.

Follow up thoughts:  After seeing the Super Bowl commercials last night, who were the real winners?  Which brands stayed true to themselves and which ones strayed so far that they were almost unrecognizable?  Were any “human beings” spotted last night?  Let me know.

Follow up #2:  I failed to mention that everyone should give “Community” a shot.  It’s a great show on NBC, Thursday nights (check your local listings).
Follow up #3:  The Google ad last night was a BIG WIN for me.