Don’t Just Stand Up, Stand Out

On March 23rd at 8 pm we were told by our governor to “stay at home.” 

We did. 

On Day 42, I felt like I was watching an old television test signal telling me to “Please Stand By,” indicating that the transmitter was active but no program was being shown.

On Day 50 (today) some programming has returned. While some of programs are distinctive, the commercials are essentially the same, except the company name changes. 

Brands claim to be “standing by us.” Um, okay, they want us to remember them next time we’re thinking of spending money. 

They remind us to “stay together by staying home.” Um, okay, again.

The messages almost touch me, but I pull away. They try to sound sincere, but many don’t. How many of the ones that sound genuine actually are? 

Why has great creative ceased to exist during the pandemic? Why aren’t more brands showing the courage to actually stand out? To stand for something that isn’t identical to everyone else’s message? 

I get that brands feed on culture, draw on contemporary inspiration and want to show us what they stand for – so when normalcy returns consumers will choose them. But what if what we remember is that they all stood for the same thing, which seems to be not much?

At a time when we’re all being urged to play it safe, this is a singular opportunity for brands to stand out. To stand for something while they stand by us.