As I sat and watched the basketball game tonight two advertisements jarred my head. The first was a Cingular ad featuring the dancing logo shouting "free at last, free at last" in Martin Luther King's voice. The second was a US Marines ad featuring a soldier traversing through a "video game like" obstacle course. So what?

The first ad was a new brand utilizing an old quote, while the second was an old organization with strong established traditions utilizing a video game analogy. Marines pride themselves on integrity, as did Martin Luther King. I wonder if either ad lived up to the integrity that had been established by both King and Marines. Both ads seemed to take tradition and integrity lightly.

When branding a service or organization it is important to consider integrity. Americans pride themselves on innovation, change, and loudness. This can be good. Our culture centers around youth and energy. Perhaps, however, we might set the present aside, and look to the past for inspiration. Integrity is earned through practice, patience, and persistence. Integrity transcends time. As information flows faster, people move quicker, and time becomes more valuable, companies will need to realize that integrity is how they differentiate themselves. Integrity is proven by example-not shouted in the living room.

A flashy thirty second spot might get you eye balls, but a lasting message requires integrity. No piggy-backing allowed. Ask Jesse Jackson.