The "I'm a Believer" Detroit Promotional Campaign

[Motor City Sam]

What?! But David Cassidy is so cute...

I guess I just never picked up on that. :-)

Good to hear from you, Downtown Lady. I hope that all is well with you and yours.

[Pam]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfuBREMXxts

Sorry, I beat you by two hours with that clip.

[DetroitDad]

I like it. It's simple, and looks like it was made completely through volunteers, and does accomplish the goal of catching the viewer's attention.

More important than what any of us thought about it, is that it directs people to the [[new?) promoted website; http://believeindetroit.org/. That site appears to be a decent tool to direct people to information on how they can volunteer in a large number of initiatives. That is something that Detroit has been missing. Volunteering information and signup should be just a mouse click away. For some events/people it has been, but for many it has not.

[BrushStart]

I like it. It's simple, and looks like it was made completely through volunteers, and does accomplish the goal of catching the viewer's attention.

More important than what any of us thought about it, is that it directs people to the [[new?) promoted website; http://believeindetroit.org/. That site appears to be a decent tool to direct people to information on how they can volunteer in a large number of initiatives. That is something that Detroit has been missing. Volunteering information and signup should be just a mouse click away. For some events/people it has been, but for many it has not.

I agree that it has good intentions, and the website is nice. But, couldn't they have done more with the commercial? They could'a got Kevin Saunderson to mix up some of that funky electro, thrown in some clips of people at work, people renovating an old building, Russell Industrial, Sugar Hill, the Riverwalk, some soundbites from actual Detroiters, new and old, that are engaged in the city. Shown some smiling volunteers, other than LBP, Worthy, and Albom.

[DetroitDad]

I agree that it has good intentions, and the website is nice. But, couldn't they have done more with the commercial? They could'a got Kevin Saunderson to mix up some of that funky electro, thrown in some clips of people at work, people renovating an old building, Russell Industrial, Sugar Hill, the Riverwalk, some soundbites from actual Detroiters, new and old, that are engaged in the city. Shown some smiling volunteers, other than LBP, Worthy, and Albom.

Maybe, but it depends on who they were trying to get to notice.

[BrushStart]

Maybe, but it depends on who they were trying to get to notice.

True, but the present commercial is so bland, it runs the risk of being forgettable for all audiences.

[Orthophonic]

What?! But David Cassidy is so cute...

After a run-in with Reuben

[fryar]

True, but the present commercial is so bland, it runs the risk of being forgettable for all audiences.

The website's not bad, though, it seems pretty useful. [[www.believeindetroit.org)

Although maybe it would be a more effective campaign if the theme was "I'm sick and tired enough of this shit at this point to want to do something about it myself." I noticed they had a neighborhood watch-like, Detroit 300-type program on there, for example. [[believeindetroit.org/opportunities/132)

That's politically unpalatable, of course. ;-p

[erikd]

I am a staunch believer in this city, but I really hate these stupid promotional campaigns. I have seen no evidence that these slogans and commercials help achieve anything.

I don't want to see Bing, Ficano, and LBP on some pointless TV commercial claiming their love of the city and issuing a call for an army of believers to step up and save the city from whatever. This city and region already has an army of believers who have been stepping up for years. What we really need is these ineffectual leaders to stop passing the buck and actually do something to solve the problems.

These "leaders" need to spend less time on TV commercials and marketing campaigns, and more time working on real issues, like creating a regional transportation authority and merging our bus systems.

[313WX]

It would have been merginally better if they had average joes off the street doing it instead of the "high profile" people that we hear or see everyday on TV or Radio who were probably paid very well for their lies in this PSA.

[Scottathew]

The music is laaaaame.

[daddeeo]

How about a Howard Beale type commercial where citizens yell, "It's my city and I want it back."
That would be fun and get a heck of a lot more attention.

[Red Devil]

Here is a promo from when the Monkees came to Detroit. They brought along a new band from England which made its US debut.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oms2593gXPM

[Scottathew]

Every time the "I'm a believer" commercials come it makes me cringe. I think the message "I'm a believer [[in Detroit)" is a good message. It's great to see people like L. Brooks setting aside the politics of the past to say that he wants to be part of the revitalization of Detroit, even though it may mean uncertainty for Oakland County.

HOWEVER. The music in the commercial is just terrible. It just sounds jaded and cheesy. It's not consistent with the message of a region coming together to make a hip, young, connected, NEW Detroit.

[canuck]

Unfortunately, you are right. The proof is in the reaction everybody has on this thread. They are soliciting emotion with uninspired blandness. Something along the lines of the Eminem Chrysler spot engaged the audience on an emotional level and whatever the reactions of individual viewers, the point is it did the job it was meant to do. Detroit is a powerhouse of music and that was obliterated.
Let's start over.

[rjk]

Unfortunately it's apathy and laziness that keeps people from becoming a volunteer to help improve their community and not the lack of of a fancy Hollywood produced ad. If only it was that easy to get people to care. Someone who isn't doint anyting now to help their community isn't going to get off their ass because of some fancy ad.

That's part of the beauty of the Chrysler ad. It made people feel good without the expectation of having to do anything like volunteering.

[BrushStart]

Unfortunately it's apathy and laziness that keeps people from becoming a volunteer to help improve their community and not the lack of of a fancy Hollywood produced ad. If only it was that easy to get people to care. Someone who isn't doint anyting now to help their community isn't going to get off their ass because of some fancy ad.

That's part of the beauty of the Chrysler ad. It made people feel good without the expectation of having to do anything like volunteering.

It's not about getting people off the couch to volunteer immediately after watching the ad. It's about creating the emotional attachment that causes people to get involved when an opportunity lands in their lap. It gets people to believe that they should care about the city.

I agree that the "I'm a Believer" campaign lacked the creativity to catch people's attention and to evoke an emotional response. If it fails, I'd credit that failure to the craftsmanship of the ad itself. Advertising is a powerful thing, especially when it is selling social awareness or a social movement and not a product. People do pay attention to this stuff and it does lead to action if it is convincing. Unfortunately, I don't think the "I'm a Believer" campaign is going to motivate very many people.

[Scottathew]

My company sent out an internal email stirring people up and telling them to volunteer. It showed the kids we'd be helping and the email got me off my butt. I volunteered half a day at Edison Elementary in Detroit making some take-home care packages for the kids, giving them stuff they needed like supplies, healthy snacks, etc...

Felt damn good too, to help out the city I work in, the region I live in.


But back to the topic of the "I'm a believer commercial", just as others stated, drab, dull, uninspiring, and they're running it a lot.

[jt1]

Seems they always have new slogans, campaigns which is just throwing away money.
Has anyone ever shown any tangible benefit from this slogan, the 'I'm in' campaign, etc?

[Kevgoblue]

Unfortunately it's apathy and laziness that keeps people from becoming a volunteer to help improve their community and not the lack of of a fancy Hollywood produced ad. If only it was that easy to get people to care. Someone who isn't doint anyting now to help their community isn't going to get off their ass because of some fancy ad.

They certainly won't. This situation is a result of years of social disinvestment. Years ago, the majority of the upper class [[socioeconomically speaking) citzens up and moved out. Rencently we've seen that same scenerio repeat itself with the middle class. First white, then black. Whats left in the majority of neighborhoods is a group that is disproportionatly poor and undereducated. Home ownership rates are amongst the lowest in the state.

Years ago poor people still took pride in their homes, even if they didn't own them. They also had higher expectations for their children's behavior and school performance. This social paradigm has changed.
How to reverse this change is indeed a tough question to answer.

[DetroitPole]

Has anyone looked at this site? It would be one thing if this were a comprehensive list of volunteer resources, but there are only a couple dozen listings there, mostly by the same organizations. Basically, this is more about the self-aggrandizing spokespeople getting their asses in front of the camera and on billboards than about volunteering, since there are more of them than than actual volunteer positions.

Ralph Godbee simpers ironically at you at the corner of Harper and Dickenson. Believer?! Look around that neighborhood and you can't help but ask yourself, "how could the be a God that would let this happen?"