Cisco Repurposes A Key Element In Its Logo To Tell Stories About Technology And People

It’s only represented by a series of nine vertical lines, but the Cisco logo element that invokes the Golden Gate Bridge has become the primary motif in its latest TV ad.

“The Power of Purpose” injects the signature bridge — which has evolved considerably from the more literal version of the logo when Cisco was founded in 1984 — across several scenes in the 60-second spot to connect problems with solutions. This includes hints at the company’s impact on markets such as education, sports and health-care. However the clip also looks at more humanitarian issues such as risks to endangered species and the potential impact of tornados.

In every case, the bridge stands in for the networking equipment Cisco is known for, but also the team behind the technology, based on notes embedded into the description where the clip is housed on YouTube.

“This campaign is the manifestation of what is possible when imaginative people, and innovative technology coalesce around a common purpose,” the company says. “Our people have always been at the center of what makes this company tick, and the innovation that Cisco has pioneered in the market, whether that be . . . restoring vital communications to areas effected by natural disasters . . . (or) enabling the secure network that powers stock markets and global financial exchanges.”

In fact, a landing page for the campaign that describes the bridge as “a love story that changed the world” showcases the firm’s 74,000 employees, each of whom is “a bridge unto themselves,” the company says.

Besides directing viewers back to its web site, the YouTube post of the ad also links to Global Citizen, a movement of engaged citizens who are using their collective voice to end extreme poverty by 2030, which Cisco is urging others to join.

The TV spot, which launched late last year, was developed for Cisco by Neo@Olgivy.