Heidi Hackemer, Strategist at Uberblond shares "Us & The American Dream" at the BOLO 2013 Conference.

1. US & THE AMERICAN
DREAMHeidi Hackemer
Strategist
@uberblond

2. This is a love story

11. Americans are dreamers and believers

12. Open
Kind
Generous
Believing
Believing
Believing
Believing
ClosedAngryFearful
Resigned

13. What is the American Dream?

14. The American Dream, the root of our
culture, is one of the greatest stories
ever

15. (Why not Brazil?)

16. (Why not Brazil?)

17. The American Dream is a social contract
between Americans and the
government

18. A government
of the people,
by the people,
for the people

19. The government creates the conditions so that
individuals can follow their dreams

20. It’s a social contract that got perverted

21. Brands, the government & churches
The 20th century storytellers of the Dream
who defined what it is and what it should lead to

29. “The American Dream today is white,
Christian, linear, heterosexual
and all about buying shit.”

31. Our promises of consumption are increasingly rin
false

32. It’s a social contract that is (nearly) broken.

33. A government
of the people,
by the people,
for the people

34. We’ve learned that the Executive branch is
fallible

35. Legislative? Yup.

36. But not the JUDICIAL!!!

40. wtf.

43. Income has tumbled since
the recession hit, and is still
8.3% below where it was in
2007
Since 1967, Americans right
in the middle of the income
curve have seen their
earnings rise 19%, while
those in the top 5% have
seen a 67% gain

44. According to Labor
Department data, about 1.7
million workers earned the
minimum wage or less in
2007. By 2012, the total had
surged to 3.6 million, with
millions of others earning
just a few cents or dollars
more

45. home ownership
is college even worth it?
realities of upward mobility
unemployed 20-somethings
veterans coming home with little support
boarded up Main Streets
catastrophic weather events
catastrophic weather events
catastrophic weather events
catastrophic weather events
catastrophic weather events
catastrophic weather events
catastrophic weather events

46. Heartache in the country

47. sense of lossloss of trustloss in
something bigger to believe in
loss of trustloss in something bigger to
believe in

48. yet, despite it all...
(and this is why this is a love story)
(and this is why this is a love story)
(and this is why this is a love story)

49. Being an American means being a
pioneer, being someone that isn’t
afraid of a challenge.
Even with everything that’s going
on, I’m still proud of this about us.
We’re living in America, and
that’s a dream. It’s still the
best country on earth.
I can’t make the politicians
stop being idiots, but I can
help out at the local soup
kitchen and volunteer to
coach my kids. So I do.

51. The American Dream might be in peril -
the American Spirit is alive

52. Belief and doing is getting local &
tangible... because that’s what people
feel is real

53. what does this have to do with us?

54. Like I said, this is a love story

55. We need to stop fucking around

56. We need to change our stories

57. Our relevance depends on it

58. Orient our brands around a purpose

59. Give our brands a reason for being
not just a reason for selling
not just a reason for selling

60. Make the world a better
place using technological
intelligence
Let people live better
lives by helping them
save money
Deliver happiness

61. brands with purpose
tell more honest, provocative, meaningful, fun
stories
tell more honest, provocative, meaningful, fun
stories

62. brands with purpose
tend to make more human, thoughtful,
interesting products and experiences
interesting products and experiences
interesting products and experiences

63. brands with purpose
do (and not just talk)
do (and not just talk)

64. (check out the work of Stengel and Milward
Brown)

65. in closing...

66. With great power comes great
responsibility

67. thank you.

68. “The American Dream is that dream of a land in which life should be better
and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to
ability or achievement.”

69. “It is not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of
social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain
to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be
recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous
circumstances of birth or position.”
James Truslow Adams, 1931
James Truslow Adams, 1931
James Truslow Adams, 1931