Changing Everything By Changing Nothing

So, here we are, in a recession. We’re launching a new website and changing some things. Clarity is the hardest thing to do in our line of work. Why? Because it’s easy to work so darn hard at making things sound more complicated than they really are, when what we all really need right now is simplicity and clarity…

At RD2 we can’t single handedly change the global economy, consumer sentiment, and the general malaise that is eating away at the livelihoods of so many. So, what can we do or change to make things better? Absolutely nothing. We already know that we have to work harder right now and focus on doing all the same things we have been refining for a long time. However, if we could do one thing different, my view is that we should just work hard to be more like… us. We should show the attitude and fire that it takes to be ourselves and to give just that to our clients. That’s what they need and that’s what we need.

So, why in a recession would I pay nearly 500 bones for a rights managed image displaying a dude in black and white who is running on what appears to be the set of “That 70′s show”? Because the photo on our home page is a picture of a guy who changed everything by just being himself. A dude who could run really, really fast, and hated like crazy to lose at anything.

That man was Steve Prefontaine. When the rules say to draft your competition and to squirt around them at the end, this was a guy who did the opposite. Steve ran from the front, taking on the entire field. He changed the rules not to just be different, but because that is what worked for him. Why bother pacing yourself, just run the first mile like a maniac and then maintain that intensity all the way through.

In thinking about what image or metaphor conveys us best during these times, an image of Steve Prefontaine came to mind immediately. But with Steve, it’s not just about the image. It’s the attitude. To approach the situation like you own it. To say what comes to mind because it just needs to be said. To belly up to the bar and set a ridiculous pace and then hammer the entire time. That’s the way Pre did it. That’s the way our team does it. This image and metaphor seemed very fitting to a deserving team who is shoving aside the stupidity of a troubled market, and taking on the challenges of our partners as if they were our challenges.

Here’s to the best, most talented, most brilliant team I have ever worked with. A simple image of an idea. The notion of just doing what you do and pushing out what does not feel right. I’d have paid 5x the price for this image, just because it makes me think of a team that has the same guts and passion.

“I am going to work so that it’s a pure guts race. In the end, if it is, I’m the only one that can win it” — Steve Prefontaine