Once, Now, Forever

To mark the culmination of GE’s multi-year transformation as three independent, publicly traded companies, GE is unveiling “Once, Now, Forever,” an integrated broadcast, print, digital and global drone show campaign that celebrates the April 2 launch of GE Aerospace and GE Vernova on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). Launching almost exactly 133 years after GE was born, this campaign honors GE’s legacy of innovation as the foundation that will propel these three businesses forward as leaders in their respective industries, continuing to shape our future.

Starting with a :60 film premiering during the start of the baseball season on March 28, “GE’s Opening Day” recounts America’s first-ever night game — a historic feat made possible through GE’s innovative technology of the time. Set in 1935, a time when baseball was exclusively played during the day, the film depicts how GE made history and lit up America’s first professional night baseball game. Juxtaposed against how GE changed the way we see the game forever, the film positions GE Aerospace and GE Vernova ready for their own opening day.

That night marked one of many “first-ever” achievements for GE, and its split into three companies is another monumental moment that paves a new path in the future of innovation. “GE’s Opening Day” will air in every single baseball game throughout Opening Day Weekend, starting Thursday, March 28.

“GE’s transformation into three independent public companies is a historic moment and one that deserves a celebration as big and innovative as the companies themselves,” said Linda Boff, CMO of GE. “GE not only changed the way we see the game of baseball but ultimately the way we see the world. And now, at the start of this next chapter, we wanted to celebrate how GE’s legacy of innovation will continue to shape our future through these independent companies. Our drone show takes to the sky above two continents to showcase our three GE companies, painting on the largest possible canvas to tell the story of these industry leaders and their global impact.”

“We've partnered with GE for over a decade, and the playbook has remained constant – create marketing as innovative as its business,” said Trevor Guthrie, cofounder of Giant Spoon. “This brief was especially monumental – as we mark the rebirth of a new GE and celebrate its legacy of innovation across 132 years. Blending strategy, media and creative, we’ve crafted a moment in culture to fully celebrate GE’s role in changing the game, and its role in shaping the future as we know it. With every moment, every asset, we went deep into the details, from easter eggs in the film to surprise and delight moments in our presence at NYSE, and more – it was key to communicate the vastness of the brand, and the care and intention behind its products and its future through GE Vernova, GE Aerospace and GE HealthCare.”

The film features clever easter eggs nodding to GE’s company history throughout, including voiceover from actress and filmmaker Elizabeth Banks (whose father is a 40-year GE retiree), two GE-inspired team jerseys, T.E. for GE’s historic founder and the “Generals” — with its pitcher wearing #2, a subtle reference to the two companies that will launch on the NYSE, GE Vernova and GE Aerospace.

Just after Opening Day Weekend, on April 1, the night before GE Vernova and GE Aerospace’s Listing Day on the NYSE, the New York City skyline will be illuminated with a 1,000-drone show that illustrates a future shaped by GE HealthCare, GE Vernova and GE Aerospace. Built as a mixed-media spectacle, and soaring 100 feet taller than the Statue of Liberty, the show will combine drones with an accompanying soundtrack.

On Listing Day, Tuesday, April 2, GE will have a dual presence in Bangalore, India and on Wall Street outside the New York Stock Exchange. In Bangalore, the drone show will launch from the GE Research campus. An installation of a larger-than-life storybook – over 30 feet long and 13 feet tall – will accompany the show, creating the illusion of the drones taking off from its pages. At the NYSE, a split banner will be featured on the facade while a co-branded coffee cart will offer the public and passersby free cups of GE Aerospace “Jet Fuel” coffee and GE Vernova “Electric Green” tea to enjoy while they take in the spectacle of Listing Day. GE Aerospace will continue under the GE ticker (GE), while GE Vernova will trade under the ticker symbol GEV.

April 2 also marks the launch of GE’s global print campaign across the US, UK, France, Saudi Arabia, UAE, China, Singapore, and India. With bold typography declaring “We Are Go” for GE Aerospace and “It’s On” for GE Vernova, the print honors GE’s brand promise of a bolder, brighter future and its renewed focus through each independent company’s focus.