Rodney King famously asked, "Can we all get along?" And in a delightfully low-tech video currently making its way through the blogosphere, Red House Furniture of High Point, North Carolina, says the answer is an emphatic yes.
Set to the tinny strains of a Casio keyboard-style soundtrack, the one-and-a-half minute ad lampoons the absurd notion that blacks and whites might not want the same things. It's a potentially touchy subject, and Red House tackles it directly—in a way that will make some people squirm and some people laugh.
"I'm Richard, aka Bighead," says one employee. "I work at the Redhouse and I'm black. I like pumping iron and pumping furniture into people's homes."
"I'm Johnny, aka Ten Gauge," says another, who is clearly reading from a cue card. "I work at the Redhouse and I'm white. I like deer hunting, bass fishing and extending credit to all people."
After customers—both black and white—say how much they like shopping at Red House, Richard talks up a sofa. "It's perfect for a black person. Or a white person." Johnny, meanwhile, extols the virtues of a bed: "This mattress is perfect for a white person. Or a black person."
If the ad sounds cheesy, that's because it is. But the video's authentic charm has generated nearly one million views at YouTube, and many promises of future purchases in the comment section.
We'd be surprised if you don't enjoy this Marketing Inspiration. Fair warning, though: After viewing the ad, it might be impossible to get the insidiously catchy "At the Re-e-e-d Ho-o-o-use" refrain out of your head.
More Inspiration:
Elaine Fogel: Is the Idea of 'Business-Minded Charities' an Oxymoron?
David Reich: Twitter Could Be a Problem for Some Marketers
Paul Chaney: Is Twitter a Business Tool? Yes!
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by Christina "CK" Kerley
