Owen Just Got A Job At GE, Awkwardness Ensues

If someone mentions GE, it’s a pretty good bet that you’ll think of manufacturing. I associate GE with light bulbs, since Thomas Edison was one of the founders. GE Aviation is headquartered a few miles away from where I grew up, so that comes to mind too. But ol’ General Electric wants you to know that it’s a digital company as well as an industrial company. To demonstrate this point, its new campaign introduces Owen, a charmingly befuddled recent college grad who just got hired by GE as a programmer. But since everyone has preconceived notions about the company, awkwardness ensues. It’s nice work by BBDO New York that will especially resonate with anyone who has been in the uncomfortable situation of having to explain a job to peers and parents. By the way, Owen is played by Gianmarco Soresi.