#1
An invitation to a very appetizing event featuring local food described in loving detail: “Be tantalized by the aroma of grilling steaks and chops from Cumbrae’s while savouring fine wines and beers from local vineyards and microbreweries.”
At the bottom of the page it reads “We thankfully acknowledge our fabulous local producers” with a list of event sponsors. The juxtaposition between the first and second parts of that sentence strikes me, and not just for its grammatical awkwardness. Why the sudden default to “event speak” with “thankfully acknowledge”? Especially in the context of so much other beautiful prose. Why not just say “The incredible local food you’ll be enjoying was donated by a bunch of generous Ontario local producers listed below.”
Why do we feel the need to revert of stuffy formalities in certain circumstances?
#2
Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life is Amy Krouse Rosenthal’s version of memoir, written in encyclopedic form. Read her entry under ‘C’ for Clapping and see how funny this innovative format can be. It turns the genre of memoir inside out. The Village Voice says “taking the name of a genre obsessed with fixed knowledge, Rosenthal time and again pokes holes in the sober format.” Why not use a tired dying genre and repurpose it to tell your own story? Why revert to “we thankfully acknowledge” when there so many more meaningful ways to express oneself?
#3
CAMH, whom I have criticized in previous blogs, has struck one out of the park with their agency Zig by appropriating the genre of condominium advertising. The metaphor extends right down to a “model suite” you can visit on the Queen Street Site.
The metaphor is a fitting one, since, as CAMH President and CEO says:
“It’s about lifestyle, and dignified human surroundings for people with mental illness and addiction. It’s also about the city building aspect of what we’re doing – it’s really a new kind of hospital. It is very much a part of the community, and the community is part of it, which is something that hasn’t happened nearly enough in the world of mental illness and addiction.” (NOW Magazine)
The PSA genre, heavy with stories and serious issues gets a refreshing new life in the form of a new genre. The digital campaign is less bold in it’s departure from traditional PSA, reverting to stories and not taking the idea as far as it could. But, a noble effort nonetheless.
