In a time where the world is so divided, both physically and emotionally, I instantly thought back to a commercial I saw a few years ago for a French telecom service. Initially one would think, how could a commercial regarding cell phone/internet company in a totally different country move someone or have any major impact on their life…but hear me out!
The commercial starts off with a Dad who puts on a cassette tape with an old song ‘Come and Get Your Love’ by Redbone. Dad dances in the living room and connects with his baby son who is playing on the floor. As a viewer, you see this connection and feel apart of the scene. Perhaps nostalgia brings the viewer back to a time where they experienced something similar.
The commercial progresses and shows the father and son at different stages in life and in different settings where the Redbone song is playing. You see the son watch Dad dance on the sidewalk and as the boy gets older, Dad dancing in a coffee shop where the son gets embarrassed, mimicking the stages of life we all experience. The characters develop as time goes on and the Dad, now Grandpa, is sitting with his wife alone on what appears to be Christmas morning. A box under the Christmas tree vibrates and the Dad opens a cell phone where his son, and now Grandson, are dancing to the Redbone song from afar.
Ultimately, the storyline required no words. It simply used relatable experiences and emotions to convey its messaging. As the child got older, it was clear to see that the conflict was distance. Whether it be job related, marriage, children, or schooling, distance came between the father and son. The cell phone service provided that solution with a service that allowed the father and son to carry their tradition, and their relationship, through video calling one another.
While I was unable to purchase the exact cell service that was advertised in the commercial, this commercial did prompt my family to purchase a smartphone for my Grandfather, who spent many nights alone in an assisted living facility. From that cell phone purchase, we were able to get through the pandemic with group calls, singing songs together, and laughing with one another. My Grandfather has since passed, but we had so many magical moments on that smart phone that are irreplaceable.
While I do feel Bouygues made a great attempt at advertising their service, I think they did an even better job with their character development in their commercial. With so many viewers able to relate to the family dynamic whether it had been their experience, or something they had once longed for, it made the viewer want to continue to watch to see what happened. Additionally, as the viewer, I was curious what the product was because the commercial itself had captivated me. Perhaps above all, it made me want to share the video on social media networks so that others could get that same warm feeling that I got from watching it. To me, that’s indicative of a great story.
