The Un-United Colors of Un-Employees

Unemployable.  What comes to mind when you think of this word?  Is it negative or positive?  Since I have been in the US for the past 60 days I have taken every possible opportunity to visit with fantastic people all over the country who are taking a road less traveled and creating a new ‘outside the box’ way of life. United Colors of Benetton is creating some buzz with their recent ad campaign.  The campaign targets 20-somethings which is fair enough I suppose.  However, being the curious researcher that I am.  I have spent the past 60 days talking with reformed unemployables as such.  They are not wearing buttons downs and khakis and really have no need for the business casual corporate uniforms.  In New York I met a gentleman who lived in Brooklyn and worked as a waiter in the city at night and during the day he and his brother own and operate a street side food van selling primarily their homemade Mexican cuisine.  He left the life on Wall Street. 

Emily who works at a local paper part-time manages the ‘celebrations’ for the community and at night she is an instructor at the YMCA.  She too was previously a part of the 8-5pm crowd.  Ellen who is nearly 65 has worked for a cruise line for 30 years and has NEVER held a true land based permanent address outside of the sea.  I am not completely discounting corporate America. I was a part of it and learned a lot but it is refreshing to see so many people re-defining what the American dream looks like and how they are choosing to live.  So Benetton here is some free pro-bono market research for you to ponder as you sit behind the glass focus group wall. Don’t forget to also beef up on the t-shirts, jeans and yoga pants lines. This is what many former ‘unemployables’ will actually be wearing.