York on Ads / No 27: Hutchison Telecom
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.DON'T WORRY, be happy. Here's why: 'The future's bright, the future's orange.' This wonderfully gnomic New Age (ie techno neo-hippy) thought is the punchline of the new Orange Personal Communications (Hutchison Telecom) commercial, selling Hutchison's entry into the fast-expanding world of mobile telephony (the industry word) with a new digital network.
You can tell it's New Age because of its gorgeous, expensive images: a baby drifting in blue stellar space; limitless seas; high-quality mountains, skyscrapers bathed in gold. Very Man Who Fell to Earth. 'In the future,' says a couth and knowing child voice-over, 'men will think it strange that voices ever travelled down wires . . .'
This future will be wire-free, and no man will ever be tied down. The contrasts are pointed up with black-and-white footage of the old world - overhead telephone cables, schoolboys in long shorts playing with string and tin cans.
Hutchison identifies itself with this market's collective future, as well as attaching Body Shop sentiments - individual freedom, environmental friendliness - to its initiative. This commercial is seeking to brand the new democratic age of mobile telephones - to get away from the current embarrassing associations by replacing them with the imagery of a kind of telepathy. This is the branding ad, the launch of the service. Other more hard-nosed commercials dealing with product features will follow. It's all a long way from the world of the Carphone Warehouse. Peter York
Videos supplied by Tellex Commercials, 071-916 2221
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments