Did you see the gold medal game? Of course you did – everybody did. The fact that everybody knows what I mean when I say the gold medal game is a case in point, but what about those who didn’t watch the Canada vs. U.S. gold medal men’s hockey game? The triumphant victory isn’t even 48 hours old, but yet it’s almost old news. Have instant news updates and social media redefined the meaning of “news”, or is it just expected that everyone knows what’s going on by the minute?

On the drive to work yesterday, I tuned into my favourite radio station enthusiastically waiting to hear what I already knew, but was let down when the news update didn’t go into detail about the Canadian Cinderella story. Despite knowing what happened play-by-play, I still expected the traditional medium to reaffirm the glory of the overtime win above all else. Maybe it’s comfort, maybe I’m just starting to notice the impact of fiber-optics on information, or maybe we’re unconsciously on the brink of an evolution – the ever shortening shelf life of news. Nevertheless, it all comes down to the fine balance of telling people what they want to hear, as well as what they don’t know. However, are prevalent information hubs taking the novelty out of major events before the printing presses can even get warmed up? I might be alone on this, but I don’t think so. They didn’t seem to stop the momentum of the now American icon, Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger (better known as the pilot who successfully landed the plane in the Hudson river). Sure the guy landed a plane in dire circumstances, but that’s not the point. Sully attributes his instant rise to superstardom to the fact that “people were looking for good news”, and he’s absolutely right. With all the tragedies and bad news, people wanted a good story. This isn’t a staggering discovery; it’s just plain simple.

The same is true with advertising, if you can tell a good story that makes people feel good, it never gets old. I don’t think I heard a single complaint about the Tim Horton’s Welcome Home ad that ran countless times a day during the Olympics. I’m not saying every ad has to be a tearjerker, so long as there is an underlying story that people can relate to.

Although, that doesn’t answer my question as to why the men’s hockey team barely made the airwaves Monday morning. Isn’t this the ultimate Canadian fairy tale? There are so many great aspects to it. We were on home soil. It was against our arch rival. Crosby scored the golden goal in overtime. Is this not the story that plays out in every Canadian kids’ driveway? It wasn’t just about hockey either – it put Canada in the record books for most gold medals by a nation at the Winter Olympics. So why isn’t the hero making his rounds to all the networks like our friend Sully did? Well first let’s establish who the hero is. Is it Crosby or Yzerman? Wait, what did they do that Alexandre Bilodeau didn’t, or Joannie Rochette for that matter? Ah ha, that’s it! There are numerous Canadian Cinderella stories. I can’t believe what I’m about to say, but it’s not just about hockey. All around the Olympics were great! There were monumental highs and devastating lows, but perseverance prevailed, and in true Canadian fashion, we didn’t isolate any of them. What a great story… but what if we lost?

After spending four years completing his Bachelor of Business Administration in the thriving metropolis of Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Dorian decided to explore other major cities around the world. Although sporadic trips were exciting, the novelty of serving double tall lattes faded fast. Thus returning to his native Halifax was a no-brainer, as too was his decision to pursue his passion in advertising. However, when Dorian isn’t crutching around the office, he enjoys relaxing with friends and taking in the best sounds and suds Halifax has to offer. You can find anything from Jazz to House music on his iPod… just not the Jonas Brothers.