The power of a simple, authentic message

"The Lost Generation"



A couple observations:

If you want to find inspiration and hope about young people, you'll find it in this short video. The video was created for the AARP U@50 video contest.

It also shows how cost-effective it can be to produce a powerful PSA at very little or no cost. This is just a simple slide show, no production costs whatsoever, narrated by a young person who does not sound like a paid professional, which gives the message added authenticity. Any nonprofit, large or small, could produce a video using this format, at no cost.

I got this from a friend who sent me the YouTube link; it's gotten 12 million views. Actually many more, as I noticed there are other copies of it on YouTube as well.

The moral of the story: a simple but powerful message delivered with authenticity trumps all the high-cost production values in the world.


Steve Cebalt, Author,
The Communications Handbook for Nonprofits and Foundations.