In the past, I’ve written blog posts about what people in the promotional products industry can learn from movies; specifically, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and Road House. In that spirit, I recently had the opportunity to watch The Breakfast Club, which, as hard as it is to believe, is now 35 years old. Much like other movies that I consider iconic from growing up as a rebellious youth on the mean streets of Plano, Texas, I attempted to force my 17-year-old twin boys to watch with me. I’ll get to that a bit later.
If you haven’t seen the movie (which would be an absolute travesty), the story revolves around five high school students with varied backgrounds who have to endure a Saturday detention under the ever-watchful eye of a bitter and beaten-down principal. Each member of this oddball group has a different role that society seems to have chosen for them: the rebel, the princess, the brain, the basket case, and the jock. During the day, they all learn to see each other on a much more profound – more human – level than they did the day before.
Throughout the film, some exceptional quotes truly resonated with me – especially as I heard them from a much different (okay, older) perspective:
“We’re all pretty bizarre. Some of us are just better at hiding it, that’s all.” - Andrew Clark (the jock)
This line is said to the entire group of students as they finally shed their outward personas and become genuinely vulnerable by sharing their innermost fears and secrets. For the first time within their peer group, they are honestly themselves. Each of us has something unique to offer if only we felt comfortable enough and dared to share it. When you think of people that have made an impact – regardless of industry - they are individually different and are comfortable in their skin. In other words, they have not only embraced their particular brand of weirdness; they have gleefully shared it with the world. If you want to stand out and make a difference with your clients, you have to get comfortable letting people see the real – and, at times, bizarre – you.
“Screws fall out all the time; the world is an imperfect place.” - John Bender (the rebel)
This comment is said to the principal immediately after John Bender has removed a screw from a heavy door to ensure that the principal would not be able to see the students in the library. Bender is right; the world is indeed an imperfect place, especially when it comes to the promotional products industry. With each order, there are multiple opportunities for failure throughout the entire process. Because of this absolute, the smart distributors and suppliers work in transparent collaboration for one simple reason: it allows it allows everyone to anticipate issues and, ideally, mitigate them before the proverbial screw falls off the door hinge.
“You ought to spend a little more time trying to make something of yourself and a little less time trying to impress people.” - Richard Vernon (the principal)
This comment is said to John Bender, who is putting on a show for his fellow students by continually antagonizing the principal: the door mentioned above, calling the principal by his uncomfortable nickname, and focusing on how to make Vernon's life as miserable as possible. Sadly, this is something that is frequently on display in the promotional products industry – especially on social media. Far too many distributors invest time and resources in a vain attempt to emulate a company they aspire to be rather than focusing on creating their success. Just like the students in detention, it’s always better to be the best version of you, rather than a slightly different copy of someone else.
Three different lines by three very different characters, but all contain some excellent advice: Be bizarre, accept that the world is imperfect, and focus on yourself, not others. Sadly, my boys didn’t see the vast majority of the movie as they pulled the ripcord at about the 10-minute mark because there was “too much talk and not enough action.” I suppose I can thank a childhood filled with Iron Man, Captain American, and Thor for the lack of entertainment patience, but I digress. The Breakfast Club is one of a select few films made for teens in the 1980’s that made people look inward. Candidly, the lessons are just as relevant today as they were in 1985.
Bill is president of PromoCorner, a digital marketing, media, and advertising agency, and has over 20 years working in executive leadership positions at leading promotional products distributorships. A featured speaker at numerous industry events, a serial creator of content marketing, and immediate past president of the Regional Association Council (RAC) board, Bill has extensive experience coaching sales teams, creating successful marketing campaigns, and developing branding that resonates with a target audience. He can be reached at bill@promocorner.com.