Revolution In a Box

A 42-year-old software engineer in San Diego recently left some money on a coffee shop counter with a note asking the clerk to buy the next person in line a cup of joe, while a 14-year-old high school student in Brentwood, Calif. went an entire day saying only positive things about people. And, chances are, the good vibes are spreading across the country still.

What could these people possibly have in common, apart from a penchant for doing good deeds?

They’re participating in a social awareness movement dubbed the Boom Boom Revolution, the latest offering from a for-profit business (seriously, with investors and a compelling revenue plan) based in the laid-back California surf town of Santa Cruz. The company is on a mission to promote positive interconnectedness throughout society with its products and, eventually, corporate partnerships – no small feat.

Its first product line consists of two versions of Boom Boom Cards, a standard deck and a special one for teens, richly illustrated by creative director Helene Scott. Each card (26 to a deck) suggests a nice, altruistic or otherwise positive act, such as “Spontaneously buy someone a meal.” The cards also can be tracked online to witness the karmic ripples. Users enter a new card’s unique serial number, or look to see if it already is registered, along with their location and how it was “played.”

“Our whole concept is to make products that create a better world, awakening the innate altruism that is inside all of us,” says founder and chief "revolutionary" officer Mary Beth Campbell. “I think about the 60's and the youth rebellion; now we have this generation of people doing something similar and the companies are listening.”

OK, but how can a business with such warm and fuzzy ambitions truly succeed in the often-indifferent, hardscrabble world of commerce? Campbell may be an idealist, but she has a realistic, brass-tacks business plan as well. Boom Boom Cards are the first in a planned line of products aimed at the goal of simply being kind to others, which she hopes to distribute through a number of prominent retailers.

“We have more products in the pipeline right now; we’re not a one-hit wonder, so I think that was reassuring to investors,” Campbell says, stressing her vision of the company as promoting a way of life – “Boom Boom” refers to the boomerang effect of performing kind acts.

The cards cost $12.99 per deck and can be purchased either on the website or at a handful of retailers. But Campbell hopes to generate more revenue – along with more goodness in general – through corporate partnerships, similar to how the Product (RED) Campaign spreads its brand among a variety of products to generate awareness and donations for HIV/AIDS research.

And similar to the RED brand, which graces everything from iPods to Gap jeans, Campbell believes companies could benefit from cross-marketing through the Boom Boom Revolution brand while also contributing to worthy causes. The company is currently seeking corporations to “sponsor” a Boom Boom Card, whereby a portion of the profits of that particular card would go to the charity of their choice.

Marketing is done virally, mostly through Facebook, Twitter and word of mouth. Boom Boom also has a web video series called “Journey to Ellen,” chronicling an effort to deliver a deck of cards to comedian and talk show host Ellen DeGeneres (see one of the clips, below). Campbell declined to name names, but says Boom Boom has an investor willing to put up more needed money as long as the company's ideas remain thoughtful.

No one needs a card to explain how to be a better person, of course, but Boom Boom revolutionaries seem to appreciate the gentle push.

“I like the idea. It’s something you shouldn’t need a card to tell you to do, but it turns out that it is actually very helpful. It helps me slow down and value the people around me,” says Elizabeth Tudhope, the San Diego-based software engineer introduced earlier.

Caitlin Bronzan, the teenager who went an entire day only saying positive things about people (which is probably more difficult than it sounds) says the cards have had a profound effect on her life.

“It has made me feel great about myself and it has helped me become a better person,” Bronzan says. “It has also showed me how doing something as little as holding a door open for someone can make a big difference.”

Justin McGlamery, a 37-year-old father of three and educator at Saint Joseph College in Hartford, Conn., picked up a deck of cards at a conference last November – before the product was officially launched – and gave some of them to family and friends.

The cards he has played include: Write a letter to a teacher who was influential in your life; leave a generous tip; give five genuine compliments in one day; for one day, hold the door open every time you have the opportunity; and leave a note of praise for someone you care about.

The website also includes a section that allows users to describe their Boom Boom experiences, which 14-year-old high school student Jamie Baron, also in Brentwood, Ca, particularly enjoys.

“I love this because everyone that does the Boom Boom Cards is so encouraging and they always let you know that you are doing a good job,” Baron says.

So the next time a stranger does something extraordinarily nice for you, it could be a gesture of Boom Boom Revolution’s doing.

Journey to Ellen: Day 5 from BoomBoom!Revolution on Vimeo.