Mother's Day & Business

During the 60's & 70's, Bear Bryant was the coach of the University of Alabama football team, one of the most successful football coaches at the time. A few years ago, the Southern Bell Telephone Company came up with a great idea for an ad. Since everyone in the South knows Bear Bryant and reveres him, what if they could get him to do a commercial endorsing their phone company?

So they negotiated a contract with his agent and arranged for Bear Bryant to come to the television studio on such-and-such a date, such-and-such a time and stand in front of the camera and, with that angry look for which he is so famous, growl three words into the camera. The three words were: "Call your momma!"

The day came, Coach Bryant showed up, they practiced the shot, then the lights went on and a camera rolled. Bear Bryant looked into the camera and suddenly his eyes were wet and instead of growling as he was supposed to, he said in a soft and tender voice: "Call your Mother. I wish I could."

That ad with its four unrehearsed extra words turned out to be the most successful ad in the history of the telephone company. I think we can understand why. It reminds all us who have lost loved ones how much we miss them, and it reminds all of us who still have our loved ones never to take them for granted, but instead to keep in touch with them as often as we possibly can.

So...CALL YOUR MOMMA! ...and Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms!