Climate Change

It has been debated around many dinner tables across the globe. It has been the hot topic of discussion amongst friends and foe alike. It has been talked about in class rooms and lectured in theatres. The attention this phenomenon has received has been remarkable and necessary. Let it be, Global Warming. We’ve read about it. We’ve heard about it. We see it. We feel it. It’s there. What have we done about it? What have you done about it?  

It’s one thing to acknowledge it; we all know it’s there. Its one thing to complain about it, talk is cheap. To sit back and hypocritically denounce the action of others who are willing to make a difference is an action which I cannot condone and one which I refuse to accept. Such an action has become the norm in the lives of many individuals in our society today. As a population we waste no time in our quest to gain knowledge. We are quick to form opinions. The speed at which we form judgements is perhaps our fastest skill. However, the speed of our reactions or at least our willingness to act is painfully slow.

Global warming can be defined as the gradual increase of the earth’s temperature. Anybody who hasn’t heard these words by now is either agonizingly ignorant or highly un-educated. Whether you choose to or not, these two words are virtually impossible to ignore. I think it is safe to say that we, as a society (when I say society I mean the global population) have become aware of the phenomenon that is Global Warming. To be aware is one thing. To act in a manner which may subsequently offer your children an additional year or two on this planet we call Earth is another one entirely. Personally, I feel that as the general public we tend to have adopted an attitude of nostalgia when confronted with life threatening inconveniences such as Global Warming

In my mind, this world is divided into two different types of people. Those who act and those who talk. Those who act are the people who go out there and make a difference. They believe in something and they have the courage to go out and do something about it. These people prove their value not around the dinner table debate, but through the example of their actions in society. Sure these people are not always right, and many of them aren’t. Wrong, they may be but brave and courageous form but a few of the qualities that make these people heroic.  Those who talk are a whole different group of people together. These are the people who complain, they have opinions and they are stubborn in their views. Sure, these people are believers. However, they prefer to express their views from the backseat of their comfortable lives as oppose to the ‘actors’ who express theirs through various commendable actions that will ultimately have an influence on our society.

The world is filled with too many ‘talkers’ and not enough ‘actors’. The ad in question is aimed at the ‘talkers’. The intention of this advert is to create awareness around Global Warming. The ad portrays the image of a man with distinct fish like qualities. The colour of his skin, the shape of the man’s mouth, eyes and head is testimony to this. The copy reads: “Stop Climate change before it changes you.” The ad is not literal in a sense that human being will not actually grow amphibious like features. Although the ad is extremely powerful through its use of the visual hyperbole of the “fish-man”. There is also an element of humour in the above advert as the final image of the man with fish qualities provides us, an audience with a sense of comic relief. This somewhat powerful advertisement makes use of the “shock factor “as it attempts to create awareness as to the harsh realities of climate change. I think it is safe to say that the advertisement being discussed is an effective one.

While there may be element of humour in the WWF (World Wildlife Federation) ad, the issue it is marketing is no laughing matter. Be as sceptical as you like, Climate change is a real thing. The statistics prove it. The seas are rising. The ice caps are melting. The air, the ocean and the environment as a whole is polluted beyond previous records.  Natural disasters are not freak accidents anymore, they are daily occurrences. I laughed sarcastically as I typed the word ‘natural’ in my previous sentence. The reason for my random outburst is due to the irony of the word in its context. It is ironic because there is nothing natural about the ‘’natural disasters’’ that occur on our beloved planet. The only thing we can blame for these disasters is ourselves. Every single individual needs to play their part in creating a planet which is sustainable enough to allow future generations the privilege that is the breath of life. An activity as simple as recycling could play a huge role in preventing the damage of climate change. All great journeys begin with one small, simple step.

As a population we need to get off our back sides and pull together to prevent the extent of Climate change. We need to bring our children up into a world where looking after the environment is not a chore but a necessity. Global warming exists. Climate change is real. We can do something about it. What are you going to do about it? That is the question that separates the ‘talkers’ from the ‘actors.’

Heineken walk in fridge advert.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_d4b_q-6egU

The ad I am reviewing this week is the famous Heineken walk in commercial ad. This ad is one of my personal favourites and I find myself in hysterics almost every time I watch it. In the ad a German couple is showing friends around their newly furnished home. The man takes all his male friends on one tour, while the woman does the same with her cronies.  The commercial kills two birds with one stereotypical stone as it pokes fun at both male and female stereotypes.

The commercial dramatizes men and their love for beer. We all know that beer is perceived to be the typical “mans drink” and that only real men drink beer. The creators of the ad have made use wonderful insight into the male species. The men seem typically disinterested with the tour until the walk in fridge moment. As they walk in to the fridge they are greeted by an overwhelming amount of beer. The drink that society makes us believe makes men, men. Not only is it clear that the beer is the cause of this childish excitement, but we are made very aware of the fact that the beer is, Heineken.

The ad in question also shows a good appreciation into the stereotypes associated with women and fashion accessories. This is made evident when the women start screaming in excitement at the closet space for the women’s shoes. This excitement and love for shoes is a classic, overused stereotype. The reason I believe this advert is so effective is because, the advertiser has taken two very basic and obvious insights and made them humorous through over-exaggeration.

This ad remains one of my personal favourites as it has taken two simple concepts (men love beer and women love fashion) and made them memorable through humour. The ad is also particularly effective as the brand being promoted is an important and obvious feature of the ad itself.

Avicii Concert

“Avicci”. This name dominated itself upon the lips of thousands of young people over the last couple of weeks. Avicii, for those of you who refuse to keep up to date with modern music, is an up and coming DJ from Sweden. He has produced a number of hits over the last little while, including the popular song; Levels. This track, amongst his other mixes are played daily on radio stations, music TV channels, and they are slowly becoming the ‘national anthems’ to many night clubs around the world.

Truthfully, when I first heard Avicii was coming to Cape Town I had absolutely no idea who he was. I guess you could place me in the “refuse to keep up to date with modern music" bracket that I eluded to earlier. Through my social network ‘friendships’ I  had seen a number Facebook, Twitter tweets and BBM statuses devoted to the young up and coming Swedish DJ. I quickly became aware of who he was.  I like to think of myself as someone who does move with tides so to speak, and when it comes to modern music (the music that ‘us kids’) listen to I like to feel like I’m fairly up to date. In all honesty when I heard Avicii was a DJ my excitement levels to see his concert somewhat dropped. I decided I’d sit this one out and give Avicii a miss.

In the weeks building up to the much talked about concert, I found myself becoming very excited for an event I initially decided not to buy tickets for. I started hearing his songs everywhere and I slowly discovered myself becoming his biggest fan. His music started dictating the mood in my car as I blared a number of his tracks through my speakers. I decided I had to get a ticket. I had to see Avicii.

Through a dramatic turn of events (which is another story for another day) I managed to get my hands on an Avicii ticket. This rectangular shaped piece of paper buoyed me with emotions of excitement and anticipation. I had got my ticket at last. Life was good. The concert itself was hosted at Thunder City, a rather interesting venue just past Cape Town International Airport. It was my first time attending a concert at Thunder City and I was somewhat impressed by the efficiency and organisational levels in which it was run. There was more than enough allocated parking and because the concert only started so late (12pm) traffic was hardly an issue , largely due to the fact that people were arriving  at varied times from about 8 o clock onwards to support the numerous opening acts that would grace the stage before Avicii.

Although the allocated parking was quite some distance from the concert, getting there was no issue at all. Credit has got to go for the organisers who provided somewhat of a shuttle system that would transport people from the parking lot to the concert via buses. The ‘journey’ hardly took up anytime and before you knew it you were handing in your ticket to the ticket officer and queuing to appreciate the artist you paid to see. I found myself drawn to the dance floor on arrival. The music played by the opening acts was superb. They did a phenomenal job in getting the crowd pumped up and excited for the headline act, Avicii. Special mention has got to be made of DJ Fresh who did a great job in setting the scene for a tremendous night out.

By the time 12 o’clock came the crowd (roughly 5000 people) were frothing for Avicii and his songs which made him so famous. He opened his set with his biggest hit; Levels. This was the perfect way to ignite the party flame within the Cape Townians who came out to support him that night. Amongst me, were thousands of youngsters dancing, jumping around and singing along to our favourite songs. His set lasted about 4 hours. These 4 hours were jam packed with happiness, fun and sheer joy. Avicii did an amazing job and will definitely be the most thrown around name in schools, varsities and perhaps even an office or two off the course of the next couple of weeks. Whilst Avicii did a fantastic job on stage I think the real hero of the evening is the organisers and the opening acts. These people often don’t get the credit they deserve and we tend to forget about them. At the end of it all, if it weren’t for these special people there would be no event to speak of in the first place. The fact that it ran smoothly and problem free is commendable. They deserve a feather in their cap for this. Another aspect I feel deserves some form of recognition is the opening acts. In South Africa we often don’t give our local artists the support and recognition that they deserve. There are a number of our local musicians that tend to get overshadowed by international ones purely because of this reason. Saturday was a huge indication of the talent that exists within our borders and although an artist like Aviicii is world class in their own right, our local talent is very much there and there about. South African musicians are up there with some of the best in the world and whilst we are quick to buy tickets and support international artists we should perhaps take a step back and give our local artists the support, respect and recognition that they deserve.

Although it may seem like I ended on a bit of a sombre note, there isn’t a negative thing I could say about the Avicii concert. It was well organised, well attended, and most importantly it was a lot of fun. It was a night which I thoroughly enjoyed and it was certainly a night that I will never forget.