Last week there was a great video from the Humane Society of Silicon Valley making its way around the Internet. The video (below) is about Eric and Peety, and it’s a story about how they saved each other. This story is part of the Humane Society of Silicon Valley’s story-based campaign called Mutual Rescue.
What’s great about this story
There are so many great things about this story but here are my top favorites.
In the first 25 seconds of the video, they convey everything you need to know about the story. The conflict is created and we learn how the conflict was avoided. The rest of this video fills in the gap to tell the story.
There is raw, vulnerable emotion throughout the story. I often hear non-profits tell me that they think being emotional will come across as manipulative or fake. I’d encourage you to watch this video and ask yourself: “Does this emotion seem manipulative or fake?” I’m going to bet that you’ll say no. That’s because this video is authentic and when emotion is authentic, there’s nothing manipulative or fake about it. If you don’t believe me, read the comments on YouTube.
There is a unique message behind the campaign and story. Amazing videos and stories from non-profits who work with animals are easy to find. But what’s unique about this campaign is the idea of mutual rescue. It calls for a different type of story. Stories where people’s lives were changed not just animal lives.
The call to action is to share your story. They have created a great online form where people can submit their stories of mutual rescue.
Hi Vanessa – I am Eric from the video, and I love your unique blog post about the story. Much <3 from Eric, Jake and Peety. 🙂
Eric – What an honor to have you read this post, and thank you for telling such a moving story! It’s one of my all-time favorites!
Your blog post was seen by many of the people involved in the film and everyone thought it was beautiful.
Thank you again.