Archive for Common Ground
“Dream in Color” with Target
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Target has come out with a new campaign for Black History Month: “Dream in Color“.* The television ads showcase the personal hardships and accomplishments of now famous and successful African American women. The goal of the campaign is to inspire others to work hard and never give up on pursuing their dreams (similar to the stories about Tyler Perry and Michael Jordan seen in earlier posts on this site). The four amazing women featured in the TV ads include Holly Robinson Peete, Bethann Hardison, Thelma Golden, and India.Arie. These women speak to the issues of Legacy, Beauty, Education, and Community in several short video interviews posted on the site.
In addition to the ads showcasing these four women, Target has partnered with the Smithsonian Institution and Scholastic to provide free Black History Month lesson plans to teachers.
Throughout this campaign Target seeks to celebrate, educate, and inspire others, specifically within the context of diversity. An extension of the “Dream in Color” campaign (which is intended to run for an entire year), also found on the website, includes video interviews with other successful artists, designers, and community leaders including John Legend, Emilio Estefan, and Sami Hayek.
All of the videos in this campaign emphasize ambition, believing in yourself, common ground, determination, encouragement, hard work, hope, inspiration, living your dreams, overcoming, perseverance, strength, etc, etc, etc… through the personal stories of these individuals. Basically, they hit on a lot of the virtues we promote on this site. I think the overarching theme here, and one we so desperately need to hear in these difficult times, is to take personal responsibility and LIVE YOUR DREAMS, a.k.a. “Dream in Color”.
*Unfortunately, I am not able to post the videos directly onto the blog because of Target’s restrictions. However, all videos are available through the link above.
Cultural Exchange and “Milk’s Favorite Cookie”
Posted by: | CommentsLast August, Oreo released the commercial below, “Girl on Train”.
From the first time I saw it, I loved the message. Not only are the two little girls adorable, but the message of a universal humanity is particularly poignant. Common Ground, one of the 52 virtues identified by the Foundation for a Better Life, is established here through the pleasures of childhood. Culture specialists and anthropologists have noted the universality of children’s behavior and how cultural boundaries can be crossed through this shared aspect of humanity. Also, the fact that children tend to be more open to cultural exchange and are “culture-blind” in a sense is beautifully illustrated here. The two girls’ love for a certain chocolate and creme cookie quickly turns into a discovery of how similar little girls are. Participating in an intercultural dialogue as a child and understanding the similarities and differences between cultures at a young age allows for more informed and culturally sensitive adults.
I am sure some cynics might disagree with me and condemn Oreo or Nabisco for “westernizing” or “Americanizing” Asia. While the American snack food industry, no doubt, has had a great effect on many Asian countries, I do feel that the basic premise and message of this ad is, on the whole, very positive.
In essence, what I love about this ad and what makes it commendable in my eyes is the establishment of a Common Ground and an exchange between cultures.
