Barack Obama has inspired everything from Pepsi’s “Hope” and “Change” ad campaigns, to the Iranian president—who’s lifted Obama’s campaign slogan for current election campaign. “Ma Mitavanim,” says Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Farsi for “We Can.” Ben & Jerry’s newest ice cream? Yes Pecan.
It’s a stirring marketing strategy, and it came as no real surprise to see Obama-inspired language and style from the new Liberal leader, who spoke of the “longing for change,” sweeping the country, and whose speech delivery—slowed down, with hanging pauses—had an Obamaesque quality to it.
Ignatieff’s introductory video, set to a catchy tune, with the refrain, “We can change the world [with our own two hands],” features photos of Ignatieff and Obama side-by-side. In it, black people, white people, old people and gay people finish each other’s sentences in both French and English.
It seems to have drawn its inspiration from will.i.am’s, “We Are The Ones,” whose similarly rousing refrain goes, “We can change the world.” In it, a similar grouping of people—black, white, old, young, hot and ugly—finish each other’s sentences in both English and Spanish.
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Obama started the borrowing, with an English translation from the United Farm Workers’ ‘Sí se puede.’
Except few people had heard of this line when Obama borrowed it. This is getting out of control and scarily opportunistic.
And Obama acknowledged the lineage, when he first used it in his Senatorial campaign. A rep from the UFW spoke of the lineage on the night he accepted the Democratic nomination.