Corporations are sometimes tone-deaf to their real customers, their messaging is off kilter or out of step with the people who are the actual decision makers. and frequently their advertising companies completely fail to target their true consumers as well. This is everyone's fault - the marketing department should be constantly examining its audience, the advertising agency should be canny enough to ask probing questions.

At a point when I think every comany should be asking what place the internet, video and any intersection thereof has to do with their advertising and marketing strategy, a few firms are doing the right thing by using this format to tell evocative stories. Others are using video and the internet to speak to people who aren't their real customers about things that won't help their bottom line.

Hitachi hasn't fallen into this trap with its sub-site, "True Stories." Realizing that large purchases of Hitachi technology won't - and shouldn't - only occur in California or the NorthEast, Hitachi has crafted some approachable and intelligent stores about how their technology is helping real people in real circumstances in other parts of the country.

I enjoyed these stories and found myself wondering where Hitachi technology plays a part in my life, hidden behind the scenes.

The design was also quite striking and at times very intelligent. Large saturated images are placed as the background to 9/16-formatted small movies. The large backgrounds change as the move progresses, but gently, and in a way that propels the story forward and gives it added meaning.

Take a look and tell me what you think:

http://www.hitachi.us/truestories/