Ode to Can.
May 28 2012, 4:10 pm | | 85 Comments
Since the launch of the CommBank Can campaign yesterday both M&C Saatchi, Commbank – and indeed Campaign Brief – have had many requests for the words of ‘Ode to Can.’, beautifully written in only a few hours by agency creative director Andy Flemming.
85 Comments
We’re proud of ya Andy!
It’s lovely having an art director who can write. Nice stuff Andy. As always.
Alright seriously CB, enough already! How many more articles must we read on this bloody campaign?
Look, I appreciate this campaign for it’s effort and sound rationale. However, where it fails will be the bank’s ability to deliver on it (much like the NAB campaign). Sure, CBA CAN spend huge money on media, but I really don’t think they’ll ever look after anyone except their shareholders. The rot is simply too far set into the organization now.
Hats off to the agency. It’s the bank that won’t be able to deliver.
There was a young man from a bank…
I once wrote a poem called ode to cans. Not quite as polished or moving. But not written for a bank either.
So wanted to hate this – but it is beautifully written.
Very interested to see the next phase.
Nice poem…but seriously – was this campaign worth $10 million? Why isn’t this being dissected or questioned more thoroughly?
Before we agree with anything written by the supposed brand experts, I want the publishers to disclose how much CBA spent on advertising with them.
And the astro turfing around this campaign has been laughable.
Very similar to this NRMA ad
http://www.thenewspaperworks.com.au/go/news/-un-veiled
Four letter word
as offensive as any?
Starts with a C and ends with a T?
Can only think of one where a bank’s concerned.
The no-tee party?
It’s very similar indeed.
Both ads have words in them.
the other banks are a bunch of can’ts.
Whilst they are nice words…I can’t handle another big bank making billions, telling me what to do and lecturing me. If this works it’s only because of the media budget they put behind it…
Here’s to the crazy ones…
Ever since that Apple ad, everyone wants to use the ‘manifesto poem’ from the pitch doco as an ad.
Well I am going to ignore that this was written for a bank (blah!) because i LOVE this poem! I am going to use it in my kindergarten class, beautiful!! Thanks Andy Flemming, you are going to be a popular author for kids ;o)
Andy, did you by any chance outsouce this to Singapore?
Beautifully written but really, if any bank thinks they can pull off this kind of statement it is just a tiny bit sad. Ripe for rip off, but my biggest issue is, where’s the proof? Comm bank can…what?
Now we know the real reason behind them buying that PR company. They are their own biggest/only client. Can we please move on from this dross.
But when the reserve bank reduces rates next month and the CBA says “sorry funding costs mean we CAN’T pass it on in full”, they’ll get smacked in the media.
I LOVE THIS POEM!!!
so glad someone has posted it up!
Puff, puff! Chug, choo! Off they started!
Slowly the cars began to move. Slowly they climbed the steep hill. As they climbed, each little steam engine began to sing:
I-think-I-can! I-think-I-can! I-think-I-can! I-think-I-can! I-think-I-can! I-think-I-can! I think I can – I think I can – I think I can I think I can.
And they did! Very soon they were over the hill and going down the other side.
Nicely done Mr Flemming. The ad wankers will bitch and moan, but this will work. I hope to see this develop into a good solid campaign for people outside the ad industry. Well done M&C.
$10 million campaign, cracked in a couple of hours. That’s $5mil an hour.
I think this Andy bloke deserves a pay rise.
Since when has CBA’s target market been – copywriters
Read this one today….
genius!
Ode to Bank
There’s a four letter word as offensive as any
It refers to the few who get rich from the many
You can’t get that loan, you can’t sign those cheques
‘Cause they need the huge profits to pay their execs.
You can’t build a home or start a new shop
‘Cause when they pay bonuses they just never stop
Yes bank is a word with a habit of lying
About their real motives, they hope we’ll keep buying.
This is another fat load of emotional dross
So that we’ll forget they just don’t give a toss
Yes those four little letters that so often trouble you
Make so much more sense when they start with a ‘w’.
Beautifully written.
Nice one Andy.
Yes we can.
Hi….. Really enjoyed the Ode to Can, but also really enjoyed the Ode to Bank….. Crackers’s a real cracker ….. love it mate….. keep on keeping on !!!!!!
Oh, the places you’ll go!
Congratulations!
Today is your day,
You’re off to Great Places!
You’re off and away!
You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You’re on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.
You’ll look up and down streets. Look ’em over with care.
About some you will say, ‘I don’t choose to go there.’
With your head full of brains, and your shoes full of feet,
you’re too smart to go down any not-so-good street.
And you may not find any
you’ll want to go down.
In that case, of course,
you’ll head straight out of town.
It’s opener there
in the wide open air.
Out there things can happen
and frequently do
to people as brainy
and footsy as you.
And when things start to happen,
don’t worry. Don’t stew.
Just go right along.
You’ll start happening too.
OH!
THE PLACES YOU’LL GO!
You’ll be on your way up!
You’ll be seeing great sites!
You’ll join the high fliers!
who soar to high heights.
You won’t lag behind, because you’ll have the speed.
You’ll pass the whole gang and you’ll soon take the lead.
Wherever you fly, you’ll be best of the best.
Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.
Except when you don’t.
Because, sometimes, you won’t.
I’m sorry to says so
but, sadly, it’s true
that Bang-ups
and Hang-ups
can happen to you
You can get all hung up
in a prickle-ly perch.
And your gang will fly on.
You’ll be left in a Lurch.
You’ll come down from the Lunch
wuth an unpleasant bump.
And the chances are, then,
that you’ll be in a Slump.
And when you’re in a Slump,
you’re not in for much fun.
Un-slumping yourself
is not easily done.
You will come to a place where the streets are not marked.
Some windows are lighted. But mostly they’re dark.
A place that could sprain both elbow and chin!
Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in?
How much can you lose? How much can you win?
And IF you should go in, should you turn left or right…
or right-and-three-quaters? Or maybe not quite?
Or go around and back and sneak from behind?
Simple it’s not, I’m afraid you will find,
for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.
You can get so confused
that you’ll start in to race
down long and wiggled roads at a break-necking pace
and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space,
headed, I fear, toward a most usless place
The Waiting Place…
…for people just waiting.
Waiting for a train to go
or a bus to come, or a plane to go
or the mail to come, or the rain to go
or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow
or waiting around for a Yes or a No
or waiting for their hair to grow.
Everyone is just waiting.
Waiting for the fish to bite
or waiting for wind to fly a kite
or waiting around for Friday night
or waiting, perhaps, for their uncle Jake
or a pot to boil, or a Better Break
or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants
or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.
Everyone is just waiting.
NO!
That’s not for you!
Somehow you’ll escape
all that waiting and staying.
You’ll find the bright places
where boom bands are playing.
Oh, the places you’ll go! There is fun to be done!
There are points to be scored. There are games to be won.
And the magical things you can do with that ball
will make you the winning-est winner of all.
Fame! You’ll be famous as famous can be,
with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.
Except when they don’t.
Because, sometimes, they won’t.
I’m afraid that some times
you’ll play lonely games too.
Games you can’t win
’cause you’ll play against you.
All Alone!
Whether you like it or not.
Alone will be something
you’ll be quite a lot.
And when you’re alone, theres a very good chance
you’ll meet things that scare you right out of your pants.
There are some, down the road between hither and yon,
that can scare you so much you won’t want to go on.
But on you will go
though the whether be foul.
On you will go
though your enemies prowl.
On you will go
though the Hakken-Kraks howl.
Onward up many
a frightening creek,
though you arms may get sore
and your sneakers may leak.
On and on you will hike.
And I know you’ll hike far
and face up to your problems
whatever they are.
You’ll get mixed up of course,
as you already know.
You’ll get mixed up
with many stray birds as you go.
So be sure when you step.
Step with care and great tact
and remember that Life’s
a Great Balancing Act.
Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.
And never mix up your right foot with you left.
And will you succeed?
Yes! You will indeed!
(98 and 3/4 percent garanteed!)
KID YOU’LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!
So…
be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray
or Mordecai Ali Van Alenn O’Shea
you’re off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So… get on your way!
BY: DR.Seuss
It’s a silly poem. And a silly product. And a silly version of ‘Impossible is nothing’.
Was the pdf. format was a cunning ploy to stop us re-posting to here: http://www.verybadpoetry.com/
“CB understands M&C Saatchi will be producing newspaper ads of the ‘Ode to Can’ but meanwhile, we’ve had a crack at doing a PDF which hopefully people who are inspired by the words can download and print out”
Irony, beautifully written. Thank you CB
Hey PR thanks for feeding the frenzy you sucker.
young writers take note -this is good writing,real writing-I wish there were more encouragement of it at AWARD school.
Thank you for creating this, I saw the advert once and loved the poem and spent the past few days trying to find it! I’m happy at my bank, it’s not going to tempt me away, I’m printing it off for me, to remind me that I can do anything…
M&C are pros, let’s face it. They’re one of the few agencies in this country who can still create a big, broad campaign that can run right through the line. Too many juniors are attracted to the one off, the little social media idea or the fun little threesome of print ads to run in archive, but handling an account the size of cba takes grown-ups who actually understand how to structure a campaign for the long term. I predict we’ll be seeing this spin out in all directions over the coming months and years. And to all the knockers, where were you when cba was pitching?
A smile is just a frown, turned upside down.
Geezus!
Great piece of writing Andy. Lovely positive message ripened to inspire mate. T
How indulgent is this… CD should have said Can’t – give me something people will believe and trust based on a true insight… it may touch people…while the bank is touching them with hidden fees etc etc etc..sets the bank up for more disappointment in the product and their behaviour
Did Andy Flemming create this all on his own? Every second comment must be posted by Andy himself or one of a million fanboys. We all know there’s no I in team.
Yes, I much prefer the original version of this – ‘Oh, the places you’ll go’ by Theodor Seuss Geise.
I think the sentiment rang truer because it wasn’t branded by an institution of crooks and liars
Why are you still indulging this Can’t/Can campaign?
It was done over 10 years ago by…M&C Saatchi of all agencies.
http://www.prweek.com/uk/news/68186/Can-do-theme-BT-business-drive/?DCMP=ILC-SEARCH
Beautifully written. Anyone who disagree’s is just plain jealous.
Just goes to show how beautiful and simple poetry can be in advertising. Well done.
…submit it to The New Yorker. See how you go.
Why would you brag about writing this in just a few hours? It cheapens what we do and makes you look like you’re on a massive ego trip.
“A negative judgment gives you more satisfaction than praise, provided it smacks of jealousy.”
This is the most patronising campaign out there, really reading me a poem / bedtime story about how it’s better to go forwards not back. I’m so angry about this i can’t explain how f**ing annoying it is. The steal from the poor, up there rates, take advantage of people offer nothing of value in terms of the banking system then have the cheek to say ‘Can’ is a good word. this is turd sprinkling at best.
if they think that a pretty little poem is going to stop people from hating them when they don’t pass on interest rate cuts so they can keep share holders happy they are dumber than most of the people on this blog. NAB has stolen every other banks thunder with an idea that resonates, and the rest are playing catch up. A bit like clems MELBOURNE and every other agency
Toni Collete is as wooden as you can get. Rushed laboured read, sounding forced and unconvincing, maybe she can act (I don’t think so) but she sure can’t recite.
And the TV has too many words in the script for the length of the ad, hence the horrible rushed feeling.
Yeah it does remind me of BT in London years ago. How embarassing?
All those cans reminds me of if by Kipling. Though obviously nowhere near as good.
http://www.kipling.org.uk/poems_if.htm
I feel quite inspired by the time the poem (ad) is over, well done!
I still find some of the critic dribble anti bank sentiment bemusing.
We have a robust and yes profitable banking system. Widely regarded as a reason this country survives economic hardship, in combination with a strong resource sector.
Yet tools on this site seem to equate commercial success and a positive advertising campaign as the work of the devil?
So, you’d rather be in Greece, Spain, Portugal, Ireland, UK or the biggest basket case of them all, the USA?
Seriously, some are in need of a decent reality check.
Met Andy, worked with him, liked him.
This ad is crap.
Agree with Building Society. Bank’s are such obvious, easy targets. Bank basing is boring. No sport in that Yawn.
Yeah yeah they all make tonnes of money but at least i know they aren’t going to collapse anytime soon resulting in me losing my house. I don’t give a shit.
1999,M&C Saatchi.London. BT. “Cant”/”Can” Identical.Oh dear.
.Ever since ‘Here’s to the crazy ones’, creatives have thought that reading out the brand manifesto on air as a poem is a good idea.
Focusing on the idea that chief executives hate the word ’can’t’, poster
sites on major routes into London will initially carry a teaser campaign
reading simply ’Can’t’.
After a few days, the teaser will be transformed into ’Can’ with paint,
eggs and graffiti, above the line, ’BT. You Can.’
Here’s a poem I wrote. It’s a haiku if youse don’t know much about poetry:
I’m very impressed
But unlike the NAB
It’s just a bank ad
I’m sorry but we laughed at the TV once we realised it was a bank ad. This is some serious agency wank, revolting infact.
Well…Glad to see the CBA have moved on from being ‘Determined to be Difficult’…But come on CAN!!!
I saw the add and loved it but all the creditability and creativity was lost when I saw that it was for the Commonwealth Bank…Stick with what you do best CBA, stay with CAN’T!!!
Yep, he read Dr. Seuss and corrupted it (in every sense) for a ghastly financial institution. Pile of Tommy Tank.
Independently if we like to Banks or Not we have to admit that it’s well done. Uplifting and Fresh. CONGRATS!!
We can, they can’t.
Poetry from banks?
Why not art from corporations?
How offensive is this assault on literature when smiley-faced verse from a ‘creative director’, in service of an institution like Commonwealth Bank no less, is called poetry.
Selling sunshine is one thing, we all do it for a living, but the up-with-people approach, encouraging us all to pull ourselves up by the bootstraps with positivism by a corporation that gouges its consumers at every opportunity is beyond chutzpah.
As if the childlike encouragement for us all to build a better life, just by thinking we can weren’t insulting enough, the strategy for this campaign will backfire heavily the next time that the CBA refuses to pass along the RBAs interest rate reductions to its consumers. The ‘We Can’t’ will be a running joke that is likely to haunt this client for a very long time, not to mention the ammunition it will give to competitors like NAB.
They should stick to writing ditties for children, and leave the poetry to serious writers, and well out of the hands of financial institutions and corporations in general.
Nice poem, sure.
But wanky teaser and then just a massive media spend for an overall idea that is LAME!!!!!!
A beautiful poem? Did any of you ‘gushers’ listen to anything in school?
Six months ago I tried to refinance my home loan so that it would suit me better, however, the Commonwealth Bank said no. I tried a number of options with them and they simply said, ‘Can’t do it.’
It doesn’t matter how many rhyming lines of positivity you write or how many well-known actors you employ to mouth them, the Commonwealth Bank will never be able to buy the love of its customers if it keeps thinking of itself and the billions in profit it must reap every financial year for its shareholders.
Didn’t Optus launch with essentially this strategy in the 80s?
Yes. Optus.
Yes, WE CAN recycle a thirteen year old campaign for another client from our own agency in the UK and sell if to our largest client here in Australia as if it were just for them.
All we had to do was remove one insignificant letter from the claims by those with integrity who said ‘YOU CAN’T’.
Honestly “One Insignificant Letter” – what campaign has come out in the past 10 years that IS a completely, never thought of before idea. Everything is based on an idea that has come up before, somewhere in the world.
This is a genuinely relevant, excellent campaign. And it’s ridiculous to say they’ve stolen it. Get a grip – AND by the way if you’ve done a great campaign from scratch PLEASE send it to us – we’d love to see just how good, critics like yourself are.
I didnt realise it was for the C.B.A when I saw the ad the 1st few times I just liked the wisdom of words used.
@Dave 5:10
Yes, everything is a version of something else, and perhaps there’s no real invention, as you say, but this campaign is not “based on an idea that has come up before”, it IS the idea, chapter and verse, down to the strategy of teasing the Can’t in a variety of public executions before transforming it to Can by erasing/defacing the ‘t’. (See the CBB entry for this morning on the BT similarity, another in the growing line of local agencies doing likewise, M&C meet Monkeys)
Hard to imagine that the CBA knew of the BT campaign written by M&C London in ’99 and were aware that they were buying someone else’s idea when they signed off on the full roll out here in Australia. Realistically, what client would want to spend a fair chunk of their annual ad budget, not to mention their campaign identity for the next six to twelve months on a completely recycled idea, one, dare we say, ‘appropriated’ from a more than decade-old creative produced for a previous client by their own international agency?
True, the Aussie version does have some juvenile rhyming verse encouraging us all to think positively and be our best, so I’m sure that’s a point of difference . . . but not in a good way, unless a bunch of sixth graders are going to be inspired to open up bank accounts.
Umm, pretty sure it’s spelt pome.
Just sayin’.
Inspiring stuff indeed!
Just another bunch of CAN’Ts, the lot a yas.
i will admit to liking the add it is a fantastic ad, however it is open to interperation, the cba wishes for its clients(us) to believe that they can give you more, this is my thinking, they can increase interest rates on home loans, they can lower savings rates, they can make a profit off your money.
this is a well constructed add that allows the cba the ‘can do’ attitude whatever the circumstance
Ode to Cun.
There’s a three letter word
Which has meaning as any
Go see for yourself
In the Oxford dictionary.
This word here in question
Cun, its name be
Meaning ‘to learn to know’
Without adding a t.
But when t is added
Its meaning you’ll see
Is completely changed
With that one little t.
Now a four letter word
Offensive to many
Reveals the true nature
Of the bank, that takes plenty.
i love your poem it’s so awesome lol
i love ur poem it’s so motivative
Fantastic, what an interesting play on words!
Fantastic use of language here, I love how you took the connotations and sound of the word ‘can’ and used it as a sort of brutal deterrent to language flow. Interesting, really fascinating.
The way you play with language here and discuss its limits and the way it can be changed semantically with the removal of just one letter is absolutely captivating, you clearly have a very significant talent for it!
Nice poem, I really loved it.