Where Do You Stand?

From Apple YouTube. The Human Family – Shot on iPhone.

In a time where it seems that racial tensions are on the rise, a few brands have decided to show the world where they stand.  Brands such as Apple, with their Human Family commercial, and Nike, partner with Chance the Rapper for Unlimited Together, are hoping to remind America that we are one and not divided during such a divisive campaign. But is it appropriate for a brand to have an opinion on any social issues, and to go as far as to using that message to possibly increase sales? Also, are these campaigns even effective?

With the launch of the iPhone 6 Apple created a very successful campaign called “Shot on an iPhone”, which allowed iPhone users to take photos and upload it to Apple’s app. Apple then used these photos on billboards around the country. The campaign was so successful the relaunched it for the iPhone 6s earlier this year to be used in 85 cities around the world (Lovejoy, 2016). These ads are fun and allow users to engage with the brand, however, they do not take a stand on a particular issue.

Fast forward to the 2016 Olympics, an event, according to the NY times, that reached 31 million views during the London Olympics (Sandomir, 2016), is the perfect place to get lots of eyes on your product or service. The Olympics is a time where we come together as a country with our best athletes, regardless of race, gender, and religion, in order to compete against other countries. During such a contentious and divisive presidential campaign, the Olympics is a time where we can rally together in the pride of our country and everything it stands for, so it only makes sense that during this time brands come up with some of the most touching campaign.

Apple managed to put together a touching commercial that capitalizes on that very moment of pride in our country as we root for our teams. Apple used pictures from the Shot on an iPhone campaign in a collage and set it to the voice of Maya Angelou reading her poem the Human Family.

The commercial still plays today and the message still runs deep during a time of uncertainty, and fear. It’s a message of unity and that we are indeed one family.

As brands begin to take a position on a cause they must keep in mind not to alienate their audience. However, if a brand has built a culture that their customers are attracted to they have done enough research on their target audience to know that their core audience.

What are your thoughts on brand taking a position? Is it beneficial for consumers to know where their brand stands on an issue?

References
Lovejoy, B. (2016). Apple reboots ‘Shot on iPhone 6’ campaign with all-new photos from the iPhone 6s. 9to5Mac. Retrieved 27 November 2016, from https://9to5mac.com/2016/02/01/shot-on-iphone-6s/

Sandomir, R. (2016). As Olympic Viewership Falls, NBC Thinks of the Bigger Picture. Nytimes.com. Retrieved 27 November 2016, from http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/11/sports/olympics/tv-ratings-for-olympics-on-nbc-down-20-percent-from-london-games.html?_r=0