TV: Pepsi "Oh, Africa!" ad

The 2010 FIFA World Cup is right around the corner and the marketing departments of all the major sponsors are in high gear. Come June we will no doubt be inundated with many ads featuring the sport and athletes of soccer. Pepsi, for example, has released a fantastic advertisement that exemplifies the spirit of the game, the excitement of the entire continent for hosting the event, and the unifying power the game has.

In the ad, Lionel Messi, Thierry Henry, Kaká, Frank Lampard, Andrei Arshavin, and Didier Drogba, find hand-painted jerseys with their names on them at an African village market. They attempt to purchase a Pepsi from another stand only to be told they would have to play the vendors for the beverage. The footballers ask the kids, "Do you know who we are?" to which the challengers respond with the same question. They then ask where the field is which is when the magic and creatively of the ad really begins.

With a soundtrack featuring the song "Oh, Africa!" by Senegalese-American R&B artist, Akon, the spot makes you want to board a plane for the dusty savanna and get your own pick-up game started. I can only hope for more creative and uplifting advertising campaigns in the next couple months!

Sergio del Limonar

MUSIC: Gregory Alan Isakov

Hailing from Johannesburg, South Africa, Gregory Alan Isakov is sing-songwriter worth becoming a follower of. Hardly a new-comer to the industry, Isakov has released four albums since 2003, including his most recent masterpiece, This Empty Northern Hemisphere.

"Well its 3 am again,
Like it always seems to be,
Drivin' northbound drivin' homeward,
Drivin' wind is drivin' me."

"3 a.m." (That Sea, The Gambler)

Utilizing an mostly acoustic sound, Isakov strums his way through gentle and thoughtfully crafted songs. Drawing comparisons to Leonard Cohen, Chris Whitley, Ray LaMontagne, and Brandi Carlile, the later - another ZONINO! favorite - who he has toured with, Isakov's work is equal parts ethereal rock and contemporary folk.

Check out his website and then head over to iTunes or CD Baby to get your hands on his incredible music!

Sergio del Limónar

WORD: maffick

This seems appropriate for a Saturday...or at least your Friday night.

This verb means literally, according to Wordsmith.org, "to celebrate boisterously." Derived from a small town in South Africa called Mafikeng where British troops were blockaded in 1899 and 1900. When they were ultimately "freed," London collectively celebrated.

After their last final exam, the university students were found all along frat row mafficking before they went home for the summer.

Sergio del Limonar

MOVIE: Invictus

I remember reading the William Ernest Henley poem, Invictus, in eighth grade English class and being blown away. That was as a 14 year old. I was re-inspired watching the movie by the same name about the beginning of the presidency of South Africa's Nelson Mandela, starring Morgan Freeman, Matt Damon, and directed by Clint Eastwood.

Invictus basically has everything going for it. With such top-notch actors and an amazing director who has been in the business longer than almost anyone, this movie was basically guaranteed to be great. The story follows Mandela (Freeman) as he struggles to unite a racially torn nation in a post-apartheid era by supporting the mostly white national rugby team, lead by captain François Pienaar (Damon).

At the beginning of the film we see that, due to apartheid, the South African blacks cheer for any team playing their country's team. Mandela saw this as a way to unite the country and create a sense of national pride. So, he asks the team to win the World Cup. No big deal, right? Well, if it hadn't actually happened, I probably wouldn't have believed it either.

The fairy tale ending to a social-political sports movie is genius. So are the actors' performances and Eastwoods sweeping camera shots. But I have to say the interwoven history lesson of Mandela's rise to power from prisoner and the integration throughout the film of Henley's famous poem, is what really made the movie great.

"I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul."

Truly inspiring.

Buzzy