It’s a rare commercial that can completely capture the essence of a product while also providing royal entertainment, but this one does it.  I’ve been wanting to write a post about it for months, but until now I couldn’t find it online.

It’s for FedEx Office, the company formerly known as Kinko’s.  As someone who spent most of his career as a corporate exec, I can tell you that one of the biggest adjustments involved with becoming an entrepreneur is that you no longer have a large staff to handle things like printing and shipping for you. FedEx Office smartly fills that void, and this spot does an exceptional job of making that abundantly clear.

More than that, it humorously but powerfully conveys the emotional attachment the customer feels toward “his staff,” who come across as smart, understanding and polite.  When they respectfully decline his invitation to take the day off, his response–”That…is why I hired you”–is perfectly written and perfectly delivered.   And when he exits the store saying “World’s proudest boss,” you know all you need to know about how FedEx Office wants its customers to feel.

Of course, this can be considered excellent advertising only if it accurately represents the service FedEx Office truly delivers.  Based on my experience with the branch office I use, it does, as  I’m consistently pleased with the quality, friendliness and pricing of the service I receive.  If my experience is typical, the bosses at FedEx office should be very proud of their company–and their advertising agency.