This moving ad beats opportunist Rio Olympics advertising by melding different national anthems
Anthems combine to create a single song without barriers.
The Rio Games are obviously a golden opportunity for brand advertising. So much goodwill (and so much cynicism, as a result) to ride, after all.
But a new ad (video above), almost makes you suspend the scepticism. Made for Samsung by Leo Burnett Chicago and Leo Burnett Sydney, “The Anthem”, as it's called, combines the national anthems of different countries to make one global anthem for unity.
The words from the different anthems have been woven together into a coherent message of peace:
“Through our unity and harmony, we'll remain at peace as one.
For we are young and free, with glowing hearts we see thee rise.
The day of glory has arrived, oh say can you see, a vivid ray of love and hope descends to Earth.
The people living united and progressive, join together all of our hearts as one.
Happy and glorious, listen to us gently with the infinite love.
Unity and justice and freedom, stand unchanged by wind and frost.
Offer peace to friends, and united we shall stand.”
The locations of the anthems being sung are deliberately switched between countries to promote the idea of a world without barriers. The ad opens with a young Australian singing the Botswana anthem. The Malaysian anthem is sung by a woman in Paris. The Kiwi anthem, in the UK, the Brazilian in an Islamic country, and so on.