Last night, a long list of legendary musicians got together at Madison Square Garden to raise funds for Hurricane Sandy relief. The median age of the artists—a group that included such icons as Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, The Who and The Rolling Stones—was approximately 75. So, it was a welcome departure from the evening's geriatrics when State Farm reminded us about another important demographic affected by the superstorm: children.
In a spot from DDB Chicago and director Joe Pytka titled "State of Hope," State Farm interviews a classroom full of kids whose lives have been shaken by Sandy's devastation. But it's not the weeks without power and heat, the flooding or the damage to their homes that they're concerned with. It's the seaside amusement parks.
"I liked eating the cotton candy and licking my fingers," recalls one of the children, who could be out of the classroom scene in Annie Hall."The roller coaster was as big as the Empire State Building," adds a student with questionable depth perception. "My brother threw up," reports another. But thanks to Sandy, those days are over, the beaches eroded, the boardwalks broken, the roller coaster in Seaside Heights swept into the ocean.
But these resilient kids are already looking ahead, imagining a future with a new, bigger, better roller coaster. One with lots of loops. And maybe even a stronger foundation that can survive the apocalyptic weather we're stuck with for the remainder of our time on Earth. Because, in the wise words of State Farm, "Hope can never be washed away."
CREDITS
Client: State Farm
Agency: DDB Chicago
Director: Joe Pytka