When Enthusiasm Was Enthusiastic

Particularly by today's standards, this is not a great piece.

The music (even for 1982) is pretty mundane, the images are tough to decipher. Looking at it 25 years later, it's almost quaint how outmoded and old-fashioned this technology looks.

But here's what really strikes me about this video, which showcases the technology that was used to run EPCOT Center: It believes in what it's telling us. It's enthusiastic. It wants to excite us, to get us eager to learn more.

It may not be great, but it's fun, and it fits in perfectly with the EPCOT Center message that technology can be used to bring great things to life.

It's about EPCOT, not about Disney. It's not about selling, it's about energizing. It's not about "branding," it's simply meant to showcase EPCOT center. It's so simple and "out-of-date," it's almost astonishing to see how effective (and infectious) it is.

(And, I noted with a sly little smile, the monorails have not a single marketing banner or sticker on them anywhere! Back then, they didn't even feel the need to use crazy character voices to "synergize." It was just about that great voice telling you that you're "now approaching EPCOT Center." For millions of people for many, many years, that alone was thrilling enough.)