Even Mars, with more craters than William Nicol, superstorms bigger than a KwaZulu-Natal special and less electricity than, well, Eskom, is no trouble for the resourceful people from South Ah. Really, if we wanted to set up shop on Mars, we certainly could. This Mzansi life has been preparing us for years!
That’s the bedrock of the new Nando’s ad. “It should be no surprise that a South African is the first private citizen in the world with an ambition to colonise Mars,” the creators say in a press release. “This idea – utterly ridiculous to those who haven’t experienced the brazen ingenuity that we see every day – is the bedrock of the new Nando’s ad, exploring how life in Mzansi has given us the confidence and competence to face any challenges on this, and any another, planet.”
South Africans – and the world – have had a hell of a year. Another hell of a year. “Here in Mzansi, we’ve been dealt a stuttering economy, crippling infrastructure that leave us with either water, or power (never both), and a persistent Randemic. Unemployment, paired with the rising (and rising) costs of living and crime are such well-worn headlines that they barely make the front pages anymore. Wherever you look there is a growing sense of understandable discontent – better, gatvolness – and the rightful rumblings of regular South Africans who must increasingly shoulder the heavy load,” says Nando’s.
“We’d be forgiven for shrugging our shoulders, rolling our eyes, and simply giving up in the face of the seemingly unfixable nature of it all. Sometimes, it feels like we’ve made a national sport of throwing hands and saying ‘tsek to the relentless k*k days, played out on Twitter feeds with highlights on your local community WhatsApp group.
“But. That isn’t us. We don’t give up. We make a plan, always. We’ve enjoyed many moments of history defining courage, and we’ve shared and celebrated the triumphs, discoveries and ingenuities that have put us on the map, solved a real problem or just overcome a daily nuisance. South Africa’s beloved chicken brand, Nando’s, reminds us of this in their new TVC. And implores us to listen to the smallanyana voice in our heads that’s begging us to recognise the Mzansi-bred creativity that has seen us through many a crisis before. We’re good at it because we’ve had more practice than most. Even amid all the challenges, we can face them and fix them, without taking ourselves too seriously.
With a final rallying cry to “Amandla Awethu, Again”, Nando’s reminds us to recognise and embrace our power once again. And if we can make it on Mars, imagine what kind of a Quantum Leap we can fire up here at home. Everyone is invited*.
Power to the people. Amandla Awethu, Again.
*Well almost everyone. There are a few ‘voetsekkers’ being sent on an expedition of their own to Uranus. Suitably attired in their orange jump space suits…
