Bell ad

Last night as I watched Ed and The West Wing on NBC there was a commerical on. It started off with a Canadian backpacker walking slowly on a rocky beach with huge cliffs. As he walked it was clear he was deep in thought. Eventually he pulled out his cell phone and called his grandfather to say hi and to let him know he was in France. His grandfather assumed he was in Paris and asked him if the girls were as pretty as he remembered them.

"I'm not in Paris grandpa. I'm in Dieppe. Thank you."

The grandfather, clearly touched, was close to speechless as he thanked his grandson for calling. That ad, brought to us by Bell Canada, hit me like a ton of bricks and was the spark that got me to start my theme for the week.

Bell Sympatico has a very good site up for Remembrance Day featuring interviews with the now retired Major General Lewis MacKenzie, the most experienced peacekeeper in the world. I haven't spent a lot of time at the site yet, but it may actually put Veterans Affairs site to shame. The link can be found on the right hand side of the Sympatico site. Unfortunately it doesn't seem to have a standalone URL.

Comments

[Clayton]

Scott... Thanks so much! that was awesome to see that video again. i have been coming back from time to time over the past 3yrs hoping someone would have a link to it!

Thanks again!

[Scott]

It finally made its way online...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dd1FNPx_YN4

I plan to download a copy in case Bell makes some stupid copyright claim.

IMHO this video belongs to Canada...

[Zack]

I wish I could find this commercial. My history teacher wants to show it to his classes but we can't find it anywhere

[clay]

Still Can't seem to locate it.

[clay]

I wish i could find this AD as well. looked on and off over past few years. doesnt seem to be anywhere!

[David C]

The first time I saw Bell's Dieppe ad in movie theatres in Vancouver, I was just blown away. I'm an American from Texas, but it easily transcended the national divide. Dieppe was a tough spot to be in 1942. I wish more of the audience present would have responded to it, but frankly they didn't. Maybe their lack of response was a left-coast, Vancouver thing, but it was great to see Bell honoring those Canadians who put their lives on the line in a very dark time.

[Kim S.]

I loved that "Dieppe" commercial from Bell. I wish I could find it online now; it deserves a spot alongside Terry Kelly's "A Pittance of Time".

[Ken A]

I too am wondering why that ad is not available on a website. It is very touching, and it would be great to allow the rest of Canada who might not see it at the movies or on TV to reflect on the message.
Well done for such a touching memorial.

[Seb]

The standalone URL is www.bell.ca/remember. It's too bad they did not put the commercial online... I would have loved to point people to it.