Not a word was spoken until about 12 seconds into the commercial, but then 22 words snatched my attention and held me captive for the remaining 78. I was ready to buy whatever they were selling though I wasn’t sure until the end–
An iPad Air.
Combining John Keating (Robin Williams) words in Dead Poet’s Society voiced over a beautiful montage of people, places and things, the ad shares how people are capturing and telling their stories using the device. It’s brilliant and inspiring.
It’s interesting to me Apple would choose to launch the new commercial during the NFL playoffs. “…poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for” doesn’t exactly fit the stereotype of a hardcore football fan. But maybe that’s the point: few people are that one-dimensional.
Watch it below if you haven’t already seen it and tell me what you think. For convenience, I’m including the text alone below the video as well.
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We don’t read and write poetry because it’s cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for. To quote from Whitman, “O me! O life!… of the questions of these recurring; of the endless trains of the faithless… of cities filled with the foolish; what good amid these, O me, O life?” Answer. That you are here – that life exists, and identity; that the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. That the powerful play *goes on* and you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be?
Do you have something inspiring you’d like to share? My friend Angie Ryg invited me to co-host “Inspire Me Monday” this week so if you’d like to write a post/have a post to encourage others, please link it at her site. (Scroll to the bottom of her kick off-post for details).
I *love* that movie!
You need to be subscribed to TweekSpeakPoetry and their daily poem in your inbox for six bucks a year. Terrific site run by great people. This is a wonderful post, Robin – thank you! And I’m just about to start a series on ‘living the questions’ at my site and this quote is superb.
Robin, I saw this roaming around the web, but I watched it on your recommendation. Thank you for sharing this inspiration. I’m reading Emily Freeman’s ‘a million little ways’, so my thoughts are quite in line with this kind of waking up to the life that exists within us, the art we can uncover and contribute, that we may let seep out to bless others.
One of my favorite movies!! I hadn’t seen the commercial yet…gave me goosebumps. Love it! I may use this quote for a woman’s retreat in February. We’ll be talking about Living Life Inspired! This is perfect. Thank you for sharing Robin!
Robin,
Absolutely love the commercial. It is smartly written and crafted. It is time people got inspired to do more than just live. They need to bring out their artistic side.
Dead Poet’s Society was a great movie!
Oh wow, this is so good Robin, glad you shared it. And glad I stopped by for some inspiration. Hope you have a great week!
“That the powerful play *goes on* and you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be?”
Oh, the blessing of being able to even share one verse, one story, change one person’s day. In a world of how much can I do, get, be…this is a beautiful reminder of what we are to be focused on..contributing for One.
XO
that’s a good commercial! thanks
Football & poetry can mix: every Poetry month, I would invite the kids to bring their own poetry to add to our poetry wall. One elementary student wrote haiku, limericks, and once a very beautiful sonnet (elementary style) about football. Something different each year.