As eight of South Africa’s nine provinces found themselves blanketed in snow last week – SA felt all the feelings. Disbelief (it’s sleet, not snow! Wait, it is snow). Anger (musician Shimza faced the Twitterati’s wrath when he shared a post of himself in the snow — except his was taken in another country). Finally, humour – because that’s what we do in this crazy land, we find a way to laugh about things.
And boy, did we laugh. From the adorable dad who used his golf clubs to ‘fake ski’ to our hilarious attempts at making snowmen and celebs dancing in the snow, the regular news cycle came to a halt. The words on everyone’s lips were stuck on repeat, “It’s snowing in Joburg!” It united us like nothing else since winning the Rugby World Cup.
It was a welcome break from the sad and bad news we’re bombarded with daily – and a reminder that it’s always good to take time to connect with our fellow Safricans and to smell the roses. Or make a snowman when your day turns upside down, thanks to a once-in-a-generation snow event. US-based writer and speaker Candy Arrington is no stranger to snow (it’s an annual event in her hood). Her view is that we can learn some life lessons from it.
- Snow teaches us to slow down. Don’t always rush and try to do too much. Instead, relax and enjoy life.
- Be ready to change plans, just like when it snows, and we have to adjust our day. Life is full of surprises, so it’s good to be flexible.
- Snow can make everything look beautiful, even if it’s messy underneath. This reminds us to think positively and focus on the good things in life.
- When it’s snowing, it’s a good time to think deeply about our lives. Instead of worrying about things we must do, we should appreciate what we have and listen to our inner thoughts.
- Snow makes everything quiet and peaceful. This is a reminder that we need to rest and reflect, not just keep running around doing things.
Sadly the weather experts tell us we’re unlikely to expect snowfall for another decade. But you don’t need a random weather event to approach each day with a ‘snowy day’ perspective.
Mindful Musings
Marketing Musings
by Gabie Stewart
It’s time to think pink!
When multiple organisations work together to create a campaign that mutually benefits all parties involved you often see magic happen. It’s called brand collaboration and it has great marketing power.
A perfect example of brand collaboration can be found in the buzz and anticipation surrounding the release of the long-awaited Barbie movie on the 21st July.
The devil works hard, but the Barbie movie marketing team works harder. The marketing team behind the upcoming movie is ensuring that it is impossible to miss the release with new stunts and collaborations released almost on a weekly basis.
Fashion lovers have been praising Margot Robbie, who portrays the main character, and her team of stylists. They have delved into the archives to find Barbie-inspired pink garments from Chanel, Prada, and Valentino, as the renowned actress embarks on her promotional tour for the movie.
What would Barbie be without her clothing style? Many fashion brands have launched clothing items that feature the Barbie logo and pay homage to the hot pink that everyone now associates with Barbie! One of these brands is Aldo, which has released a line of shoes and bags in pink and silver tones, with each piece coming in Barbie-themed packaging.
Earlier this month, a particularly large stunt was announced— a listing for, you guessed it, Barbie’s Malibu DreamHouse! The DreamHouse is, to date, the largest of the marketing team’s stunts to create awareness around the movie. However, there are various other brand collaborations currently in the marketing space.
The luggage company Béis has jumped on the bandwagon, offering hot pink suitcases and travel bags emblazoned with Barbie’s iconic phrase “today is the best day ever!”
If interior design and décor are more your vibe, then why not get inspired by Architectural Digest’s tour with Margot Robbie in a full Barbie look as she takes viewers around the actual DreamHouse from the movie?
Gamers are not left out either! Xbox has released a DreamHouse console with custom faceplates. Forza Horizon 5, the racing game, has announced that it is possible to ‘drive’ versions of both Barbie’s 1956 Chevrolet Corvette EV and Ken’s 2022 GMC HUMMER EV, virtually of course!
Overall, it seems as if the world is on the brink of turning Barbie pink—and I can’t wait to see what the marketing team has up their (pink) sleeves next!
What the world’s musing over
A nude awakening
After its premiere on Mzansi Magic, Shaka iLembe has set a record as the best-ever performance for a MultiChoice drama series. But not everyone is happy about that, and things got heated at the Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa (BCCSA).
Back to Brazil!
The skies above South Africa just got a bit more spicy! South African Airways has announced it will launch two routes from Cape Town and Johannesburg to Brazil’s São Paulo. This will be the return of South African Airways to South America since 2020. Viva!
Elon launches AI alternative
Elon Musk is clearly one competitive guy. He’s taken on space, the car industry, and social media. Now, the maverick billionaire has launched his long-teased artificial intelligence startup xAI in his bid to build an alternative to ChatGPT – and help us find aliens. Put out the popcorn…
