Friday, March 11, 2011
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
That 'ZAIN MY BUSINESS' advert
Advertisements for product and services no doubt a lot of the time play quite a big role in getting people to decide whether to go for the services and or products advertised.
A lot of time, the adverts may be more attractive and attention-grabbing than the actual product and service really on display. At other times, one may see a less than inspiring advert for a product that is really quite good. In Nigeria particularly among the GSM (global system for mobile communication) providers, I have always felt that MTN has the best adverts. I must in fact admit that there was a time when I was so irked by the difference (or rather disparity) between their adverts and their image that having just seen one of their really nice adverts, I couldn't help but exclaim something to the effect that the only thing they are known for is their quite good adverts!
The other telephone networks have over the time managed to get by with adverts that have in my opinion, not particularly been inspiring. Some of these adverts have been at best, just there while a few have barely managed to score average marks.
Zain has however been airing one advert for Zain my business on the radio in recent times. I find the advert a bit annoying and I think Zain should change the agency in charge of their account and or the people who approve adverts in their company.
The 'Zain my business' went roughly as follows:
A guy runs panting to his boss and says "boss, we can seal that deal now if we can get all the other people to agree"
BOSS: I'll cal everybody
GUY: How're you going to get XYZ in Abuja?
BOSS: (sighs heavily) that's true, I'll call him
GUY: And all the others?
BOSS: (another quite heavy sigh) yeess, I'll call everybody one after the other (this said as if weighed down by the enormity of the work ahead of him)
GUY: But that's a lot of airtime boss
BOSS: (bursts into laughter) don't worry, I use zain my business!
I am not sure what message the authors or creators of the adverts thought they were trying to pass across by the mannerism affected by the people in the advert but I sure thought there was a subtle attempt at insulting the listeners to the advert inherent in that advert. The insult is implicit in the guy's question to his boss "How are u going to get XYZ in Abuja?" To hear that question you would think we were back in those days when calls had to be routed from one quaint place to another. What in fact play on my mind every single time I hear that advert is that the call to Abuja will be routed through the Nigerian roads from one state to another until it gets to Abuja and since our roads are in a really sorry state, having to call someone in Abuja really should be a cause for concern! This is because not only will it take days before the call goes through, it might also suffer accidents and police extortion on the way! Now who wouldn't worry and sigh heavily at the thought of having to go through all that in an attempt to get some people to give a quick assent to a deal they've been praying and probably fasting for!
I got the same impression when the boss said he'll call all the others one after the other in a tone of voice that falls just short of mournful. The boss only stupidly (in my view) burst into laughter when the subordinate expressed the concern at the cost implications of calling all those people. One would have thought the boss would have from the beginning showed an eagerness to make the calls since he knew all along that he had zain my business which was supposed to make calls really cheap and affordable instead of affecting the heavy and mournful tone until the very last moment.
Well, just goes to show, we can't get it right all the time!
GUY: How are
A lot of time, the adverts may be more attractive and attention-grabbing than the actual product and service really on display. At other times, one may see a less than inspiring advert for a product that is really quite good. In Nigeria particularly among the GSM (global system for mobile communication) providers, I have always felt that MTN has the best adverts. I must in fact admit that there was a time when I was so irked by the difference (or rather disparity) between their adverts and their image that having just seen one of their really nice adverts, I couldn't help but exclaim something to the effect that the only thing they are known for is their quite good adverts!
The other telephone networks have over the time managed to get by with adverts that have in my opinion, not particularly been inspiring. Some of these adverts have been at best, just there while a few have barely managed to score average marks.
Zain has however been airing one advert for Zain my business on the radio in recent times. I find the advert a bit annoying and I think Zain should change the agency in charge of their account and or the people who approve adverts in their company.
The 'Zain my business' went roughly as follows:
A guy runs panting to his boss and says "boss, we can seal that deal now if we can get all the other people to agree"
BOSS: I'll cal everybody
GUY: How're you going to get XYZ in Abuja?
BOSS: (sighs heavily) that's true, I'll call him
GUY: And all the others?
BOSS: (another quite heavy sigh) yeess, I'll call everybody one after the other (this said as if weighed down by the enormity of the work ahead of him)
GUY: But that's a lot of airtime boss
BOSS: (bursts into laughter) don't worry, I use zain my business!
I am not sure what message the authors or creators of the adverts thought they were trying to pass across by the mannerism affected by the people in the advert but I sure thought there was a subtle attempt at insulting the listeners to the advert inherent in that advert. The insult is implicit in the guy's question to his boss "How are u going to get XYZ in Abuja?" To hear that question you would think we were back in those days when calls had to be routed from one quaint place to another. What in fact play on my mind every single time I hear that advert is that the call to Abuja will be routed through the Nigerian roads from one state to another until it gets to Abuja and since our roads are in a really sorry state, having to call someone in Abuja really should be a cause for concern! This is because not only will it take days before the call goes through, it might also suffer accidents and police extortion on the way! Now who wouldn't worry and sigh heavily at the thought of having to go through all that in an attempt to get some people to give a quick assent to a deal they've been praying and probably fasting for!
I got the same impression when the boss said he'll call all the others one after the other in a tone of voice that falls just short of mournful. The boss only stupidly (in my view) burst into laughter when the subordinate expressed the concern at the cost implications of calling all those people. One would have thought the boss would have from the beginning showed an eagerness to make the calls since he knew all along that he had zain my business which was supposed to make calls really cheap and affordable instead of affecting the heavy and mournful tone until the very last moment.
Well, just goes to show, we can't get it right all the time!
GUY: How are
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
SUCCESS VERSUS HAPPINESS
I was watching one of the too many reality shows (Holly's World)that are on TV these days a few days ago and a guy on his way to what at that time was to him, sure success (read fame)thought out loud whether he would prefer success to happiness. To him, happiness was hanging out with his friends and having a generally good time with people he was comfortable with. Success on the other hand, was leaving the place where he had all his friends and going to earn a living and achieve fame in a place he could hardly understand.
At first, I was startled by the question he asked himself about whether it was happiness he wanted or success. My first reaction was of course to exclaim "but they are not mutually exclusive!" And of course, I believe with all my heart that happiness and success are not mutually exclusive. Indeed, I have only ever had one ambition in life. It is not to be a lawyer or to be rich beyond my wildest dreams or to be famous. No, it is a very simple ambition. And yet in my opinion, it encompasses so many other things that people ask for individually. What is this ambition? It is simply, as you might have guessed, to be happy.
My own definition of happiness, unlike the young man's in that reality TV show includes success; not just in my work, but also in my personal life. It includes the happiness or fulfillment of members of my family, immediate and extended, it includes the happiness of my friends and the success of my country.
I have not checked the definition of happiness in the dictionary, but I know I really do not need to, to arrive at my definition. And my definition has to be so wide because it really will be a difficult thing for me to say I have everything I want when the people around me either lack so many things, or have to constantly run to me to give them this or that due to probably the biting economic hardship in the country.
While for me happiness and success might not be mutually exclusive, I wonder, whether particularly the celebrities and a lot of the public figures we see both in Nigeria and abroad, do not make a conscious decision to pick one and sacrifice the other. More than once, I have had to ask myself why people who are so creative that they literally bring a lot of joy into the lives of others do not themselves get any happiness from their works.
Michael Jackson was by all and any standard imaginable, a very successful musician, indeed, he was a legend. Was he happy? That is a question I believe can only be truthfully answered in the negative. Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, Whitney Houston, all have achieved a great deal of success in their chosen career. But can it be said that they truly have happiness? Well...I very much doubt that.
And yet, I am positive that success and fame are not mutually exclusive. whether a person has just one or both really depends on what the person truly desires. And a person can be successful, famous and still be happy. Such a person will only have to work at it...
At first, I was startled by the question he asked himself about whether it was happiness he wanted or success. My first reaction was of course to exclaim "but they are not mutually exclusive!" And of course, I believe with all my heart that happiness and success are not mutually exclusive. Indeed, I have only ever had one ambition in life. It is not to be a lawyer or to be rich beyond my wildest dreams or to be famous. No, it is a very simple ambition. And yet in my opinion, it encompasses so many other things that people ask for individually. What is this ambition? It is simply, as you might have guessed, to be happy.
My own definition of happiness, unlike the young man's in that reality TV show includes success; not just in my work, but also in my personal life. It includes the happiness or fulfillment of members of my family, immediate and extended, it includes the happiness of my friends and the success of my country.
I have not checked the definition of happiness in the dictionary, but I know I really do not need to, to arrive at my definition. And my definition has to be so wide because it really will be a difficult thing for me to say I have everything I want when the people around me either lack so many things, or have to constantly run to me to give them this or that due to probably the biting economic hardship in the country.
While for me happiness and success might not be mutually exclusive, I wonder, whether particularly the celebrities and a lot of the public figures we see both in Nigeria and abroad, do not make a conscious decision to pick one and sacrifice the other. More than once, I have had to ask myself why people who are so creative that they literally bring a lot of joy into the lives of others do not themselves get any happiness from their works.
Michael Jackson was by all and any standard imaginable, a very successful musician, indeed, he was a legend. Was he happy? That is a question I believe can only be truthfully answered in the negative. Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, Whitney Houston, all have achieved a great deal of success in their chosen career. But can it be said that they truly have happiness? Well...I very much doubt that.
And yet, I am positive that success and fame are not mutually exclusive. whether a person has just one or both really depends on what the person truly desires. And a person can be successful, famous and still be happy. Such a person will only have to work at it...
Monday, October 18, 2010
Guilty!
Once again, I have found myself criminally negligent of this blog. I have both good reasons and no reason at all for my negligent behaviour. I have actually been swamped with work, but I know if I had really been determined to put something up, I would have. In the meantime, a lot of things have happened; the good, the not so good and the downright bad.
In the time in which I have neglected to post on this blog, 33 Chilean miners had been trapped thousands of feet below ground and been, happily rescued, Nigeria had its 50th anniversary as an independent country amidst bomb blasts which claimed some lives and the president made a mess of the situation by jumping to absolve the group that claimed responsibility of any blame in the matter. The president by so doing jeopardised the investigation into who was responsible for the bomb blasts.
I discovered the enjoyment of watching the X-Factor (yeah, I know, I know, it's been on for years and years!). Kayode Fayemi reclaimed his lost mandate in Ekiti State after 3 1/2 years of almost frustrating legal battle!
A lot has actually happened that should have required in depth commentary but I snoozed through them all! I hope to start getting my act together again and to be more up and doing in the days to come.
And did I remember to mention, thanks to Facebook, members of my secondary school were able to get together again after 17 years! I tell you, it was wonderful to see some of these people again and I look forward to the next reunion.
Signing out now, hope to post again real soon!
In the time in which I have neglected to post on this blog, 33 Chilean miners had been trapped thousands of feet below ground and been, happily rescued, Nigeria had its 50th anniversary as an independent country amidst bomb blasts which claimed some lives and the president made a mess of the situation by jumping to absolve the group that claimed responsibility of any blame in the matter. The president by so doing jeopardised the investigation into who was responsible for the bomb blasts.
I discovered the enjoyment of watching the X-Factor (yeah, I know, I know, it's been on for years and years!). Kayode Fayemi reclaimed his lost mandate in Ekiti State after 3 1/2 years of almost frustrating legal battle!
A lot has actually happened that should have required in depth commentary but I snoozed through them all! I hope to start getting my act together again and to be more up and doing in the days to come.
And did I remember to mention, thanks to Facebook, members of my secondary school were able to get together again after 17 years! I tell you, it was wonderful to see some of these people again and I look forward to the next reunion.
Signing out now, hope to post again real soon!
Guilty!
Once again, I have found myself criminally negligent of this blog. I have both good reasons and no reason at all for my negligent behaviour. I have actually been swamped with work, but I know if I had really been determined to put something up, I would have. In the meantime, a lot of things have happened; the good, the not so good and the downright bad.
In the time in which I have neglected to post on this blog, 33 Chilean miners had been trapped thousands of feet below ground and been, happily rescued, Nigeria had its 50th anniversary as an independent country amidst bomb blasts which claimed some lives and the president made a mess of the situation by jumping to absolve the group that claimed responsibility of any blame in the matter. The president by so doing jeopardised the investigation into who was responsible for the bomb blasts.
I discovered the enjoyment of watching the X-Factor (yeah, I know, I know, it's been on for years and years!). Kayode Fayemi reclaimed his lost mandate in Ekiti State after 3 1/2 years of almost frustrating legal battle!
A lot has actually happened that should have required in depth commentary but I snoozed through them all! I hope to start getting my act together again and to be more up and doing in the days to come.
And did I remember to mention, thanks to Facebook, members of my secondary school were able to get together again after 17 years! I tell you, it was wonderful to see some of these people again and I look forward to the next reunion.
Signing out now, hope to post again real soon!
In the time in which I have neglected to post on this blog, 33 Chilean miners had been trapped thousands of feet below ground and been, happily rescued, Nigeria had its 50th anniversary as an independent country amidst bomb blasts which claimed some lives and the president made a mess of the situation by jumping to absolve the group that claimed responsibility of any blame in the matter. The president by so doing jeopardised the investigation into who was responsible for the bomb blasts.
I discovered the enjoyment of watching the X-Factor (yeah, I know, I know, it's been on for years and years!). Kayode Fayemi reclaimed his lost mandate in Ekiti State after 3 1/2 years of almost frustrating legal battle!
A lot has actually happened that should have required in depth commentary but I snoozed through them all! I hope to start getting my act together again and to be more up and doing in the days to come.
And did I remember to mention, thanks to Facebook, members of my secondary school were able to get together again after 17 years! I tell you, it was wonderful to see some of these people again and I look forward to the next reunion.
Signing out now, hope to post again real soon!
Monday, August 9, 2010
TOO HUMAN TO SUBMIT
HE created everything
I know HE sees all things
All HE asks of me is that I submit totally,
so HE can give me all that I desire to live happily
But oh no, I am sure He asks too much of me,
How on earth should I be expected to just leave things be
When I can contribute to my own paintings?
Oh no, I’ve got to help myself I can’t just do nothing!
I know, I know, I am expected to surrender
While HE takes charge and make my life a wonder
Being me, I couldn’t help but fight HIM every step of the way
Wondering how HE could be so slow and expect me to wait
HE has fought my battles I realise, with the benefit of hindsight
I know HE has foresight, hindsight and all sights
I just wish HE would not expect so much of me!
Expecting me to submit totally is such a heavy burden!
ÓAdenike Abimbola Oyalowo
10082010
I know HE sees all things
All HE asks of me is that I submit totally,
so HE can give me all that I desire to live happily
But oh no, I am sure He asks too much of me,
How on earth should I be expected to just leave things be
When I can contribute to my own paintings?
Oh no, I’ve got to help myself I can’t just do nothing!
I know, I know, I am expected to surrender
While HE takes charge and make my life a wonder
Being me, I couldn’t help but fight HIM every step of the way
Wondering how HE could be so slow and expect me to wait
HE has fought my battles I realise, with the benefit of hindsight
I know HE has foresight, hindsight and all sights
I just wish HE would not expect so much of me!
Expecting me to submit totally is such a heavy burden!
ÓAdenike Abimbola Oyalowo
10082010
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
OWHIESKY
I heard a joke today on my way to court and I feel it will be criminal for me not to share it with y'all. The joke was about a girl who was meeting her boyfriend's family for the first time. The girl was nervous, not sure exactly how to behave in front of her potential parents-in-law. To make matters worse for this girl, she started having the kind of discomfort can sometimes be brought on by eating too rich food that sometimes do not agree with the system. And so it was that the girl (Jane) let out (inadvertently), a faint sounding fart. The boyfriend's father after the fart looked towards their dog under the dining table and shouted "Owhiesky". Jane heard this and smiled in relief and so when nature came calling the second time, she did not bother to muffle the sound and the boyfriend's father again looked towards the dog and shouted "Owhiesky". Jane again did not bother to hide or muffle the sound of yet a third fart when it beckoned, and this time, the boyfriend's father shouted 'OWHIESKY, WILL YOU GET AWAY FROM THERE BEFORE THAT GIRL MISTAKENLY DEFECATES ON YOU?'
I couldn't resist bursting into loud laughter when I heard that joke this morning, and it reminded me of a quote by Robert Bloch which goes:
A man who smiles when things go wrong has thought of someone else to blame.
Surely, Jane would not have comfortably continue letting out fart after farts if she did not think the poor innocent girl nestling under feet was a convenient fall guy, well, fall dog if you like.
I couldn't resist bursting into loud laughter when I heard that joke this morning, and it reminded me of a quote by Robert Bloch which goes:
A man who smiles when things go wrong has thought of someone else to blame.
Surely, Jane would not have comfortably continue letting out fart after farts if she did not think the poor innocent girl nestling under feet was a convenient fall guy, well, fall dog if you like.
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