Deadspin alerted me to this video by Ben Gullett. Ben’s dad, Mark Gullett, was laid off from his marketing position with hockey’s Tampa Bay Lightning. So Ben put together the video in an effort to help his father get a job.

As a piece of advertising, there’s much to criticize:

1. It’s all about the advertiser.

2. Virtually no information about any benefits an employer might receive by hiring Mark Gullett.

3. Weak call-to-action: there’s an email address at the end, but no real explanation of what a prospect should do or why.

None of the above matters. The video is damn close to perfect. It tells a  powerful, moving story. While it may not provide much information for the intellect, it more than makes up for that by communicating emotion.

Anyone looking for a creative marketing mind would have to wonder what else Mark Gullett might have to offer. Mark Gullett’s job search has now gotten national exposure, with more than 21,000 views as of today. The campaign’s gotten him at least one firm offer, and a significant number of leads.

It’s done so by breaking many of the rules of effective advertising. I would never advise a client to try something like this — there are too many ways to get it wrong.

This one gets it right.

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