Christmas 2013 is now merely a week away.
And when families gather around their tree – whether it be artificial or authentic – they will no doubt open an impressive array of colorfully-wrapped, eye-popping, mind-blowing, high-tech gadgets and devices.
Of course, we here at Amplitude Digital are very much in favor of “teching the halls,” so to speak (although we probably wouldn’t turn to Radio Shack for high-tech Holiday gifts). After all, we are a digital marketing and advertising agency.
But we also believe firmly in balance. And in the timeless power of things that are, well, classic.
Generally speaking, something is a classic because it is done really, really well. No matter the medium, message, era or avenue of delivery, if something resonates deeply, authentically and naturally with people, chances are it will always remain popular. Or at least, alive. Especially if it does so in a creative, memorable and powerful way.
That’s just how human beings work. We protect, pass down, teach and cherish the things that mean the most to us. We transmit knowledge and traditions from one generation to the next, and we hope that they too will do the same in return.
This respect for tradition and custom is rarely as apparent as it is around the Holiday season. From strings of holiday lights to Christmas trees to brightly wrapped presents, it seems like certain things may change…but also, always stay the same.
The same goes for Holiday programming. In an era of multi-million-dollar Pixar productions with mind-blowing computer animation and celebrity voice acting, sometimes a 49-year-old, stop-motion classic like “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” remains, well, a classic.
When CBS recently ran the 1964 stop-motion animation classic on the Tuesday evening just after Thanksgiving, it ranked as the No. 1 program of the night among adults ages 29-54, and tied NBC’s white-hot “The Voice” on one of its Twitter nights as the evening’s top show among adults ages 18-49.
It all makes perfect sense, too.
Why? Because “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” is just good. Really good. It’s entertaining. The animation, while no longer “cutting-edge,” is great. The music is memorable and wonderful. And the whole production, when taken on the whole, just says, “the Holidays are here.”
Of course, there might be even more behind the wild, enduring popularity of this classic program – which first aired on NBC in 1964. The “Old School” nature of the special might, in fact, have something to do with its popularity in today’s digital era.
While tablets, smartphones and other mobile devices continue to rise in popularity and ubiquity, more and more consumers are also becoming at least somewhat disenchanted with the seemingly never-ending proliferation and intrusion of technology in our daily lives.
According to a recent report from JWTIntelligence, a top trend for 2014 is what has been dubbed, “rage against the machine” – an escalating fear and resentment around “what’s been lost in our embrace of unprecedented change.” Per the report, titled “Ten Trends for 2014 and Beyond,” consumers will increasingly place a higher value on “all things human.”
The report is the result of quantitative, qualitative and desk research conducted all throughout the year. It consists of input from close to 70 planners and researchers from multiple markets for JWT Intelligence, whose tagline is “converting cultural shifts into opportunities.” The report also takes into account interviews with a range of experts and influence-makers across a variety of sectors, such as technology, health and wellness, media and academia.
One of many highlights of the report is the following passage:
“In this year’s trend report, we see how consumers are both welcoming and resisting technology’s growing omnipresence in our lives. For many, technology serves as a gateway to opportunity and an enabler of hyper-efficient lifestyles, but those who are most immersed are starting to question its effect on their lives and their privacy. One result is that more people are trying to find a balance and lead more mindful, in-the-moment lives.
As we mentioned before, we here at about balance. As well as doing what is best for you and your business or brand. We hope that you and yours have a happy, healthy Holiday season. And we wish you the very best of success – personally and professionally – in the coming year.
We’ll see you soon. In…The Near Future.
