We use the word iconic sometimes like we do the word hello. At every turn it’s too easy a word to throw around, when in reality must things we refer to as Iconic are not really worthy of that high level of praise or individuality. Icons should be rare air for all of us.
That being said, there are certain hallmark events in business, sports, media and entertainment that may come and go, but when you experience them as part of gaining plum recognition most continue to hold their own, or can at least be merchandised to a larger audience as tentpole moments worthy of the best of the best.
Two of those tentpoles…the cover of a Wheaties box, and the physical cover of a publication like Sports Illustrated in whatever form it is now (I’m still holding out hope that the now monthly edition is still valuable to generations of storytellers) probably don’t hold that much value for younger groups of consumers or athletes, but when they still happen, they continue to get that “A HA” moment, albeit one that is probably more fluid today than it has been in decades.
However, even with the migration to digital images and moments being used to capture attention, there are still many of those key slices of time that are captured that ring true for success. Two are literal bell ringings…the NYSE and NASDAQ ceremonies that open and close trading days are sent out to millions in the financial world and elsewhere twice a day…at 930 and 430. Others…a visit to the White House for championship teams, a photo op atop the Empire State Building or in front of the Eiffel Tower, a visit to Disney World by a league MVP, the first time an athlete actually sees and embraces their own trading cards…all still embody success in storytelling that have a wow factor and go beyond the daily activities and accolades of celebrities and athletes.
In the past few months I have gotten to again experience some of these moments through the eyes of those being honored, and always walk away with a sense of awe for what the moments achieve. On Friday last, we helped the Harlem Globetrotters ring the Opening Bell at the New York Stock Exchange, and watching those young athletes from various walks of life, experience the historical significance of standing on that podium in a tradition that has gone on for centuries, was not lost on any participants. It created moments to remember, replete with a lot of the ceremony and pageantry that the NYSE has created around a moment that is largely yes…ceremonial in today’s highly digitally focused financial trading world.
Ceremonial yes. Impactful. For sure.
I mentioned the Sports Illustrated cover moment for a reason as well. There has been a lot of back and forth as to the death, or yet again the reinvention of the Sports Illustrated brand, especially amongst those of a certain age who hold the brand…and what it mean for high level journalism and storytelling…in such esteem. Whether that cover, or that moment, means as much to a younger generation with evolved focuses is up for debate. After all, there was a time when the cover of Life Magazine or The Saturday Evening Post, was the pinnacle of success. Those publications have ling since faded from the memory of many.
What the pinnacle of success, that moment in time that is bigger than the individual, means to a newer younger generation of athletes, celebrities, coaches and consumers is probably very much in flux right now. It is a question I am going to pose to young folks in the coming weeks, let’s see what the answer is. Does a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame mean anything? Walking a red carpet at an event mean you have arrived? Or is it a TikTok or a shoutout on any social platform from a peer, or millions of peers, that signals arrival for the ages…
How do we measure iconic these days?
For me, and for those who take the time to understand the history of where they are standing, those stops that have held the test of time and create uncommon memories remain more than worthwhile. Maybe there are other moments like that yet to be created, but the work that goes into planning, timing and executing big stops tied to history…or seeing the tangible long lasting value of a cover or a consumer item that builds a link from the present to the giants of the past…holds huge value that transcends time…and selfies.
Maybe they are not quick and sharable right away, but they are memorable and should both be appreciated and aspired to.
After all, to be iconic you must tie to history…and history includes the past as well as the present and the future.
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