The U.S. Campaign for Burma has attracted a wide range of talent for PSAs protesting the country's oppressive military dictatorship. Many of its videos—say those from Sarah Silverman and Jason Biggs—use humor to raise awareness about various facets of a deadly serious topic.
This one, with Jennifer Aniston and Woody Harrelson, highlights the world's general ignorance of the ongoing crisis. When Harrelson, as the spoiled actor, refuses to leave his trailer, his director, played by Aniston, arrives to see what trivial demand will lure him to the set.
He announces he will only come out when Burma is free. "Burma? Is that it?" says a bemused Aniston. "Honey, that's so doable. That's, okay, done. Now, so, while I'm taking care of the … Burma … would you say you need five, five minutes?" Harrelson slams the door shut and Aniston, in mock-Hollywood fashion, turns to her beleaguered assistant. "So, Burma, you heard that. Just … make that happen. Go free Burma. I don't really care how much it costs. 'Kay?"
Then the punchline: the assistant walks away and mutters to herself, "Where is Burma?"
The U.S. Campaign for Burma uses dark humor to educate an audience that's unlikely to sit through an earnest recitation of facts and figures. They might laugh, but when the truth behind the joke hits, it hits hard. And that is Marketing Inspiration.
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by Oliver Feakins
