Goodie Mob said it then, it’s relevant now
In 1998, I remember going to tower records and purchasing the Goodie Mob’s new album Still Standing . Getting home opening the plastic feeling the slick packaging then the smooth plastic cover containing the cd. Hearing the pop when opened and sliding the insert out. I listened to that whole album several times that day. One song in particular stuck and has had relevance throughout the years, especially now; Fly away.
The verses express a similar feeling people currently carry. A feeling of restraint of speech towards misinformation, protest, and disinformation. Over the month and two weeks have been low impact protest, and expressions of concern among the public. What has shifted people are tired of the illusion that’s been thrown out into the crowds. People are started to say:
If you don't like what I say
Fly away, fly away
If you don't like where I stay
Fly away (uh huh)
For example in an article by Andrew Ross Sorkin in the New York Times Griffin VS Trump he writes about how Ken Griffin C.E.O for Citadel and and Anil Kashyap, a University of Chicago professor and adviser to the Chicago Fed is standing up and not being complacent anymore by expressing his concerns.
Governor Newsom, Harvard University, Brandon Johnson Mayor of Chicago, many other cities and people are standing up and saying:
If you don't like what I say
Fly away, fly away
If you don't like where I stay
Fly away (uh huh)
People on social media are also doing the same. The social media ecosystem is a mix of gossip, lies,truths and exaggerations. Each post with manipulated content for interaction is corrected by the social community intentionally bullying the bully. Usually ending with “you can keep it scrolling”.
Does this mean history repeats itself unless it’s corrected. My belief is yes. But my belief is not what’s important. What’s important is communities are done with staying quiet. More individuals will find the courage to speak the truth ( sounds like the 40’s,50’s,60’s,70’s , 80’s and 90’s all over again) and if someone doesn’t like it , “they can just fly away”.Judgement from misconception and sniping and clipping is not the trendy thing to do anymore. There’s a slowing down of reacting without facts. When society becomes more authentic toward collective values it pushes away from the voices that spoke so loudly against the collective.
Being authentic is not a “risk” in advertising, it’s a is a risk when the culture is used inappropriately. Consumers currently want authentic, generationally authentic. If it’s not genuine folks will create an outpouring of diss approval telling a brand to Fly away, try again but we won’t forget how it started. The masses are not as forgiving as they use to be.
There are brands who’ve not squandered the trust of the patron. Jordan is one consistent brand, everything and everyone aligns with how and what Jordan stands for. Jordan is an outlier and so are his shoes and brand. His authenticity on and off the court is something to be celebrated. His competitive spirit and “I took that personally” Assertive attitude towards competition drives the purchase. It’s about culture and that’s what the Jordan brand exudes. The brands that are culturally deaf get passed over, get the Not Like Us treatment , or told to Fly away.
