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Twitter new ad campaign to put a positive spin on “this you?” culture?

There has been a dark cloud over the world’s head since December 2019. If you know, you know. She who shall not be named, along with her variants, have taken the world as we knew it on a wild ride in search of normalcy. Kiss it goodbye, as life as we knew it will never be the same again.

We are thrust further into the digital space and social media has evolved to become an even stronger source of hope, inspiration and feel-good moments. Entertain or be entertained with short bursts of video content, engaging lives and dynamic threads.

One trend that has emerged on the Twitter scene is the “this you?” cancel culture. “This you?” is asked along with a screenshot or link to a tweet that contradicts the present thought/statement being tweeted. It’s done in an effort to cancel or discredit select individuals by reemerging old tweets that contradict present ideologies or personal moral beliefs.

In a positive spin, however, it seems that Twitter is doing some marketing to show that it doesn’t have to be all negative. Instead of cancelling, why not look at the tweets made by success stories before they even tasted success?

Twitter’s ‘tweet it into existence’ campaign

A tweeted image of a billboard displayed in Toronto, Ontario sparked my interest. It says, “when I grow up, I want to be a more successful version of me.” which is a tweet made by Issa Rae at 11:12 pm on July 5, 2010. On the billboard, the image of the tweet juxtaposes an image of Issa Rae today – a more successful version of herself.

According to Twitter’s senior manager of entertainment partnerships, Jenna Ross, “the campaign celebrates a group of 12 talented individuals – including Demi Lovato, Issa Rae, Meg Thee Stallion, Bubba Wallace and others – whose hard work and drive helped them to make their dreams a reality. The campaign is designed to help inspire countless others to dream big, put their goals out into the world, and Tweet them into existence.”*

As part of the initiative, Twitter will donate nearly $1 million to charities chosen by the group of 12 starring in the campaign, including Boys and Girls Club, Destination Crenshaw, The 3-D Foundation, and UNICEF Canada.

Issa Rae

In the current [redacted] climate, where people are feeling hopeless, discouraged and simply struggling to make it, this ad campaign is a well-needed burst of inspiration. If you’re a Twitter user, let this inspire you to tweet it into existence and if you’re not, let this be a reminder that whatever you speak has life and power so make it positive.

For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

Mark 11:23 KJV

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