MCI Canada wanted to let small and medium-sized businesses know it could answer any needs related to the Internet. Holmes & Lee took the call as AOR for the ‘One Day is Today’ campaign and, using a TV spot with NSP inserts and a special custom-built Web site (onedayistoday.com), set out to drive the message home with CEOs and COOs. The ad centres on a storyteller who regales a group of CEOs with hopeful aspirations of what the Internet will be able to do for their businesses ‘one day.’ The TV spot was also specifically designed to drive the target to the Web site where page viewers could register for free VOIP calls and get more information on MCI Canada business solutions.

Alvin Wasserman, president of Wasserman & Partners Advertising in Vancouver, broke down the campaign to let us know if ‘one day’ is really for today.

OVERALL CONCEPT

Old school tie execs get schooled by new generation tech master is an apt if somewhat fatigued premise for this brave new world picture. The canvas being so purposely blank does underline the cap A cap D in the art direction. Yes, it is sans the usual office but we’re now used to offices in Paris café’s, hammocks and cottage decks so nothingness is no real thrill (bar Zen-like aspirations).

CREATIVE

Love the seamless integration of the seamless set and seemingly unintimidating storyteller. Best part? When you get to the site, get a few questions answered and let the storyteller sit for a spell, suddenly his cell rings (MCI Canada?) and he tells someone that he does not know how long he’ll be because we’re just sitting there. Very nice touch.

TV SPOT

Is it too much of a wish to have all this understatement and minimalism lead to a bit more of the dry humour in the fringes of the Web site vs. just dry fact? The kinder-execs probably have heard of most of this stuff as they read the business press. One new carrot or cherry would make all the difference. There’s a lot of room to drive this campaign wider and deeper.

DIRECT RESPONSE

Mini sites are a great idea for campaigns as you do not risk people getting lost in the maze of corporate sites that have long ago been co-opted by the IT and corporate information bureaucracy.

Giving me more motivation to actually go from the spot to the site is not an unreasonable request. I do not yet pine for the promise of the stated ‘one day,’ since things are pretty stark in the new school of communications à la MCI Canada. I do not yet yearn for the journey. Perhaps I am not evolved enough, or it just may be I’m a bit uncomfortable sitting on the floor.

WEB SITE/INTERNET CALL TO ACTION

Do I have my hand up? I like the url link to the payoff line. Like the inclusiveness of the site itself. Did I say this was a seamless campaign?

EFFECTIVENESS

With a little more (check one) _Heart _Smile _Humanity _Soul this would have been semi-Zen perfection. As it is, it is just very good.

The creds:

MCI Canada: Deborah Brown, director, marketing; Noelle Taylor, marketing co-ordinator

Holmes & Lee: Peter Holmes, CD/copywriter; Peter Holmes, Mike Mulik, ADs; Rob Nadler, account director; Stefany Peirce, production management; Chris Dury, lead developer; Mark Duez, senior developer

Fever Films: Randy Diplock, director