I am…Penn State

I don’t consider myself a die-hard Penn Stater. I’m not a native Pennsylvanian and I left the state weeks after receiving my diploma, off to New York and, for the past 25 years and three children, to Connecticut. The recent indictment of a one-time defensive coordinator on multiple counts of sexually abusing young boys has devastated the university that I, and so many others, love. We are forced to accept the fact that these young boys (we may never know how many) were abused by one of our own, on our campus and that a cover up allowed it to continue for years.

Suddenly, I now see how important Penn State is to me. Penn State is the reason my family moved to Pennsylvania.  It was 1969 and my father accepted a senior position at Penn State’s new College of Medicine in Hershey.  That autumn, my two brothers and I would get our first exposure to games at Beaver Stadium, watching Charlie Pittman, Mike Reid and Jack Ham lead the Nittany Lions to their second consecutive undefeated season. We were hooked. Dad would become the associate provost of the medical center, be honored as an Evan Pugh Professor and would retire from the university 21 years later. My brothers would also graduate from PSU and we would all have on-going arguments with dad about when Paterno should retire, with dad voicing his belief that JoPa was staying on too long. Given that dad passed away over ten years ago, he now gets the ultimate “I told you so” from his grave. Well played, Dad. It’s probably not an exaggeration to admit that everything I have accomplished can be traced back to my family (you too, mom) and to Penn State. Do the right thing. Success with honor. For more than 40 years, Joe Paterno has been a constant presence in our lives. But please don’t confuse our display of affection for Paterno as blind loyalty or insensitivity to the real victims of this horrific crime. We are shocked and we are mad. We are shocked by the acts of a monster and mad at the inactions and cowardliness of our leaders. We want the truth, all of it, as painful and damning as it might be. It’s what we learned from Dad, and from Joe.

So, while accusations fly, theories are spun, and lawyers are briefed, what should we (as in We Are…) do next to move forward in our new, uncertain PSU world? I suggest we rethink the WE in our proud cheer, which both expresses our pride as well as a certain anonymity of the collective Penn State monolithic community under which these inexplicable acts happened. Perhaps we should embrace a new paradigm, such as “I AM … PENN STATE.” After all, we arrive on campus, fresh from high school, as individuals. Four years later, or thereabouts, we accept our diplomas, as individuals. It’s now time for each of us to step up, take responsibility for our own actions, hold others accountable for theirs and not defer to the collective WE or the worship of others.  If Penn State is ever going to reclaim its position as the great university we know it to be, then I AM … PENN STATE. And so are you.

Kandahar candy stripers

Last night, I began watching the premiere of the new ABC primetime drama, Combat Hospital. The first episode, “Welcome to Kandahar” immediately began establishing the premise and introducing the main characters for the self-described “medical procedural drama” set in a military hospital in Afghanistan. Now, don’t get me wrong. I grew up watching MASH and love a good war story when the good guys win and our hero gets the girl. But this one didn’t feel right to me. There have been over 1,600* U.S. military fatalities in Afghanistan alone and thousands more wounded. Despite President Obama’s announcement today, we still have over 100,000 troops in Afghanistan and so far this year, we’re losing brave Americans at a rate of one per day. I’m sure some will say that Combat Hospital sheds a light on the horror of war or that it honors our solders, marines and medical personnel. Personally, I felt it was too soon and Clarity Down. I turned it off and watched Tosh.0 instead. Tosh.0 is Clarity Up.

*Source: iCasualties.org

It doesn’t get much better

Google Chrome’s new tv ads featuring the “It Gets Better” YouTube campaign are a fantastic convergence of two mediums in order to promote progressive technology and progressive cause messaging. For those who don’t know about “It Gets Better,” it’s a non-profit awareness organization that encourages LGBT supporters (including corporations and celebrities) to make YouTube videos spreading the message that “it gets better” for youth who are bullied because of sexual orientation. Cause notwithstanding, Google’s use of YouTube videos on television is innovative, showing how the two ends of the video spectrum are starting to meet up. Not to mention, the 90-second ad-spend during teen-centric Glee and American Idol and the almost 1 million hits on YouTube in under two weeks are impressive. Clarity Up.

For MiO, a little gross

Kraft’s first new product launch in 15 years is the water flavor additive, called MiO. Released last month, the commercials have flooded the airwaves, reminding people that water just doesn’t taste good unless it is custom-flavored (and colored). With no calories, protein, carbs or any other tangible ingredients, MiO is tasty food coloring. Kraft is clearly proud of its new baby, with ads that feature glam shots of the coloring descending into heroic-looking glasses of water. The effect is something that looks like half science fair project, half menstruation demonstration in a feminine product commercial. Rather than showing the human element of how flavored water tastes, or people enjoying it, the result looks like something that is undrinkable and might be better for dyeing Easter eggs than for nourishment, which is Clarity Down.

Jennifer Aniston’s sex tape

We all know that “viral video” used to be an organically created happy accident. You throw a silly video up on YouTube, and a few days, or even months or a year later, it’s suddenly the most popular video on the web, being shared with enthusiasm until it just as suddenly goes stale and disappears into the depths of the ether. Now, viral video is a commercial medium that marketers calculate into their strategies. This change did not take long to happen – after all, we’re all trend-watchers waiting to poach on yesterday’s best thing. Today, Smart Water released its new viral video featuring Jennifer Aniston, the brand’s lovely spokeswoman, spoofing all of the most successful, watchable features of viral: puppies, hot women, dancing babies who talk like adults, crotch-kicking and a catchy name with the terms “sex tape” in it. While this is obvious parody, it works for the venue and makes the brand a little more accessible than Aniston’s six-pack abs do in her print campaign. Congratulations to Smart Water for beating others to the punch with their serious spoof. Because being serious about not taking yourself seriously is Clarity Up.

And the winner is…me!

So, you weren’t nominated for an Academy Award this year? Wait – you didn’t even make a movie, or act in one, or write a screenplay? No worries. You can still accept an Oscar Award and be envied by your friends. I’d like to thank the Academy for their support, and for their cool and engaging concept, where anyone, including you, me, even Meryl, can enjoy the Oscar experience and the thrill of accepting an Academy Award without the bother of actual movie-making. Congratulations to all you would-be winners. Just smile, pose for the camera and share your big moment by posting your photo to Facebook or any other social media venue. Accepting your Oscar at Grand Central Station – Clarity Up.

Less animation, please

Usually, at least half the fun of the Super Bowl is watching the commercials. Last night, I’d have to decrease that percentage to about 25%. This round of ads was just an insipid showing, lacking true concepts behind the stunts. One of my personal favorites was the Chrysler ad featuring Eminem and the tagline “Imported from Detroit,” which bolstered the brand and not only raised its cool factor but backed it up with meaning. Another favorite is the already-viral Volkswagen ad with the child Darth Vader. It was instantly recognizable, fun and simple. My beef is with the over-use of special effects. In fact, there are so many special effects-laden commercials that the name no longer deserves the “special” qualifier. The biggest offender was Coke’s “Dragon” ad, which took place in a mythical winter land where a dragon’s wrath is only stopped by drinking Coke. This served no other purpose for the brand than showcasing some computer animation, and had no meaning or thought behind it to justify the execution, which is Clarity Down.

Perfection – the hard way

These days, we can fake just about anything when it comes to stunning visuals and computer-generated effects. Pores don’t exist in cosmetics ads, fast food looks gourmet, and even China’s military is using Top Gun footage to report their drills. It’s easy to do, and seems to be acceptable. However, when companies go the extra mile to accomplish things that are both difficult and push the envelope, it’s refreshing. Lexus’ new “The Hard Way” campaign, beginning with a commercial featuring five cars hung end-to-end from a crane, does just that. With a nod to Myth Busters, Lexus has created a campaign showcasing their cars undergoing spectacular tests of physics. Whether it’s submitting their leather interiors to a blowtorch, exposing cars to radiation, tuning engines like they are musical instruments, or suspending five cars from a crane, Lexus is putting their money where their mouth is and living their tagline: “The passionate pursuit of perfection.”  Online, each “test” is captured in a beautifully shot video, proving that not only are their cars made “the hard way,” but their advertising is too, which is Clarity Up.

The faux “Toyota” guy

The worst thing an ad can do is make you think of a competing brand. However, the other day as I was watching tv, when a Ford commercial came on, I immediately groaned and said, “Ugh, I am so sick of that Toyota guy.” It was one of the Ford ads where the guy goes to Toyota owners’ homes and asks them to consider switching to Ford, which they inevitably, and happily, do. A good idea, but the prominence of the Toyota brand is confusing, and at the end of the day, if a competitor’s name is mentioned too often, it can be as much of a disincentive as it is a motivator for change. This completely negates the purpose of the campaign and leaves my hazy memory with the idea that “maybe I should look at Toyotas” – which is the complete opposite of their intention. So, Ford gets a Clarity Down for bashing its competitor ineffectively.

Winter web of diamonds

I am not one to be easily diverted by online ads – they are almost always obtrusive and usually obnoxious. However, Cartier’s “Winter Tale” flash video ad ­– often featured on New York Times’ website and then carried out in full on Cartier’s site is spectacular creative. So eye-catching and beautiful that it transports viewers to a true Winter Wonderland, a place where an adorable panther cub discovers Christmas and Cartier. The piece is reminiscent of the fanciful splendor of The Chronicles of Narnia, showing us that web video and feature films are quickly converging online. So, for an online ad cynic with a soft spot for Christmas, Cartier is definitely Clarity Up this season.