stop and think.

There are advertisements that make us want to turn off the TV immediately because they are  annoying, boring or simply nonsense. And then, between all those there are a few rare ads, we remember even though we don't intend to do so. They just stick there, somewhere in our memory because these ads are special in some way.

Today I found a wonderful website that really caught my attention: http://www.boredpanda.com/powerful-social-advertisements/ 

We are all annoyed by certain advertisements which are just aimed to raise sales figures and influence people in negative ways, manipulating them. The ads shown on this website are different. They address social issues and make us stop and think. We see strong, powerful, maybe shocking pictures. Pictures we are afraid of, don't want to see because they make us realize that the world around us isn't this idyllic, perfect place we sometimes consider it to be. We keep them in our memories, want to share our emotions with other people, talk about these pictures, share the message. Talk about the health risks related to smoking, the dreadful consequences of using our oceans as gigantic garbage cans, overfishing, child abuse and child soldiers, racial discrimination and many more issues that should be addressed.

These advertisements stay in our memories because they show the inconvenient truth and don't try to play down reality. Maybe some people feel offended by these pictures, but in my opinion this is the only way to raise public attention and awareness.

“advertising justifies its existence when used in the public interest—it is much too powerful a tool to use solely for commercial purposes” (David Ogilvy) 

I really like this quotation by David Ogilvy for the fact that what he says is true. These pictures don't just want to shock, they are thought-out, creative and clever. The first picture on the left side for instance shows a child soldier in the streets of a city that obviously doesn't have to deal with such an issue. This advertisement directly addresses the one who sees the ad by imagining what it would be like if we had to face such a problem. Seeing this poor little boy with the gun in his hand. No one would be able to just walk by and think of something else. This is what the advertisement aims at. This is why it was created. It makes us realize that child soldiers exist and that these kids need someone who stands up for them. It also makes us realize that Africa or other countries which have to deal with this issue are not so far away and that we can't simply close our eyes to it. 

Source: boredpanda.com

If you have a few minutes I would really recommend visiting this website and have a look at more of these ads, I promise you won't regret it. 

A glimpse of the future.

Have you ever wondered about all the packaging that can be found in a normal supermarket? These tons of  plastic and other (in my opinion) unnecessary materials that help keeping your potatoes, rice and all the other products fresh? Do we really need that much packaging? Two days ago a friend of mine showed me a more than intersting and somehow sensational article that really caught my attention. Unfortunately I only found it in German but nevertheless it's worth reading: Original Unverpackt

source: austinchronicle.com

"Original Unverpackt" is the name of a new, innovative start-up project of two young entrepreneurs named Sarah Wolf and Milena Glimbovski. Their idea is simple and at the same time really smart: a zero-waste, packaging-free grocery store that will be the first one in Berlin to open this summer. 

When I started researching on this topic I realized that there already exist such kind of grocery stores. For instance there is one in Austin, Texas called in.gredients.

If you are wondering how this should, here's the answer: Most of these stores, like the one in Texas, consists of a number of bulk bins which contain items like flours, cereals, rice, beans as well as teas and coffee, spices, dried fruits and nuts. There are also special containers which dispense liquids like honey and maple syrup, oil and vinegar or things like dishwashing soap. Other products like butter can be scooped from vats. The only thing you need to do is bring your own containers from home, because that's the only way to go without packaging again. It would be against the original idea if people used plastic bags to carry their rice or cereals home. 

I really like the idea and at the same time I know that it's still unrealistic to imagine a future where all supermarkets will stop using packaging. For too many people the idea of carrying a number of containers with them still seems inconvenient and much more effort than just carrying their plastic bags with their packed rice or butter. And somehow I can understand this way of thinking because of course it's not the easiest way. Then there's the question of meat and fish, how is it sold? There are certain laws and local regulations which limit the opportunities of packaging-free grocery stores. Meat can't be sold without certain packaging and that's not the only question remaining unanswered. On the other hand I've seen films like Plastic Planet and know about the consequences of our excessive production of waste and the way this production affects the environment. There are far too many people who just don't even think about this issue even though it's something that affects all of us.

Maybe the time for zero-waste, packaging-free grocery stores hasn't come yet and just a small number of people make use of this offer, but at least it's a beginning. To me it seems like a little step into the right direction. If people start thinking about the consequences of their shopping habits and for example try to avoid the use of plastic bags it may not be a milestone but at least a beginning!

Look up !

Look up! It's this video I just stumbled across that made me question our present-day attitude towards social media, friends and life in general. It made me question our way of interacting, making new friends and living. Is it true that we spend so much time staring into this tiny screen, updating our so-called friends with the latest news and hoping that someone presses the like-button? Hoping that someone shows interest (even if it's a strange way of showing interest) in our lives, or at least the part of our lives we share to our virtual friends. Isn't it strange, that we attach such great significance to what other people think about our latest status update or a new profile picture? To me, yes, it seems strange and I really ask myself where this development may lead in the near future.

Some weeks ago there was an article in the newspaper, reporting about a competition between teenagers actually taking place on facebook. Everybody wants to have the most likes for his or her profile picture or new status update and the highest number of  so-called "friends". A real competition. How can someone really attach so much significance to social media? 

When I take the bus after university and have the pleasure to catch exactly the one with pupils from primary school or secundary school, I enjoy watching their behaviour on the bus and then I'm sitting there and do nothing else but that. It amuses me and at the same time makes me question education these days. I've also been growing up with playing computer games or watching TV, but most of the time I was outside, playing cops and robbers or hide and seek with the other kids of the housing estate where I was living with my family. It was a great childhood and I wouldn't want to miss it. We built tree houses and were roller-skating as if there was nothing greater than that in the world. It was such fun! But nowadays, I sit on the bus, watch these young kids staring into the screens of their iPhones and the only thing they are talking about (IF they are talking to each other) is something about the facebook profile of another girl or the new picture of someone they know. 

source: trulymadlyhappy.com

I don't want to generalize now, but most of the time it really is like that. And there's no big difference to people at my age. When there are five people waiting for the bus you can be sure that at least three of them are either talking to someone on their phones or doing something else with their phones. Of course it's a nice way of passing time while waiting and I'm not that better but maybe we should rethink this whole social media thing and our relation to smartphones. 500 facebook friends are nice but useless if you're not able to communicate in real life. Maybe, like in the video, you'll miss a great opportunity if you only lead your life on facebook but are unable to really live it. Enjoy both, every struggle and every great conversation, every minute you spend with your friends and family and every new experience, every single second of a journey and the moment you return home. Enjoy life as a whole - no matter what other people would comment if you posted a picture of that moment on facebook. So please, look up!