We usually see Apollo Creed—I mean Carl Weathers—musing on boxing and other such manly things in the Rocky movies, so I’m a little thrown to see him in his newest role: a polo-wearing, bicycle/flower-cart hybrid-driving Gandhi-type offering his "inspirational musings" to the world. "Change is beautiful," he announces—a statement often preceded by, "You are beautiful." Change can be a bit baffling, too.
Moving away from Weathers for a second, the other silent, constipated-looking characters seem more confused than enlightened. Well, I’m confused too. What is this for? What is changing? Is it like Rocky IV (the one where Apollo Creed dies, btw), when Rocky Balboa single-handedly changes the minds of millions, thus uniting Russia and the United States? Because that was beautiful. Or is it more like the change that President Obama is promising? (Wait, can I say that yet?)
Oh. It is a campaign by the Credit Unions of Washington. Kind of a letdown.
The Credit Unions of Washington—the name says it all. Its newest campaign, which includes these Weathers clips, basically urges the public to quit its traditional banks and join a credit union. However, on the Change Is Beautiful website, there’s hardly even a passing mention of the Credit Unions of Washington. It’s only at the bottom, like your ugly stepkid's artwork tacked on the bottom of the fridge, that we find the logo. And you have to scroll down to see it.
Yes, CU of WA has created original content and built its own media, but this is a very roundabout way to make a point that barely makes sense. I feel uneasy watching the videos and and trying to digest the messages. Is my credit going to change? Because I want my bank to be solid and unchanging. Perhaps it's a good thing that it’s a little hard connecting video campaign to the company. What CU of WA should have done was to produce something that truly integrates its brand story with its media, because, as it stands, there’s, well, hardly a union at all.