You remember this guy, don’t you?  His name is William Katt.  He was The Greatest American Hero from 1981 to 1983 on ABC.  I loved that show.  I just bought the DVDs from our local movie rental place at their going out of business sale.   Three seasons of this fine work of fiction cost me less than a hamburger.  What a deal.

The Greatest American Perm

Cheap for sure, but I’m not sure why I bought them.  I can’t bring myself to watch these DVDs because I know I’ll be disappointed and embarrassed that I was ever entertained by bad acting in a cheap red spandex suit.

But it made me think of just how little tolerance we have for inauthentic branding anymore.  The quality and depth to the products we make shines right through the pretty packages today.  We can’t get by with a logo, a brochure, and a business card.  We have to show the entirety of the products we produce; a story has to emerge or we won’t be compelled to engage with the brand.

I think this is why authenticity is more important than anything else today.  The red suit and cape just don’t fool us anymore.  This is the real Greatest American Hero, and he looks like he is getting the Greatest American Wedgie:

For some strange reason, I think that this second shot of Mr. Katt would sell better today.  We can see where the strings are attached, and while we no longer believe he can fly (did we ever), we do trust him a little more.  For brands, that matters.