Open Happiness

Well, we're steadily approaching the end of November, and sure enough, the run up to Christmas has officially begun. How do I know this? Those damned Coca Cola trucks have been on my television, parading down a snowswept American street where even the kid's pets are clearly on uppers, just as they have every year for as long as I can remember. It's the same advert Coke have used for at least a decade now, and why? Because they know damn well that it has become a cultural landmark on our calendar and Christmas would not be the same without it!

So has the advert changed at all in that time? Well, the answer for this year at least is yes. At the end of the advert we now see the Coca Cola logo, mounted on a white background, with a simple two word slogan:

'Open Happiness'.

Open happiness... I'm pretty sure that thus far, science and all the power of man, has been unable to capture the individual emotions of the human being, and put them in a glass bottle for human consumption. If this had been done I am pretty sure we'd all be having a serving of rich, warm love with every meal, (or hot sweaty lust, depending on whether you ultimately want children or just a few STDs). The world would be a better place and already we would have moved past the dire activity of swallowing emotions in pill form. (Incidentally I wonder what love would taste like? Mmm, buttered crumpets!)

It just seems to me such an offense to the human race to suggest that a commercial product can provide us each with an emotion we spend all our lives trying to secure. Sure, I bet you're thinking 'come on Derek, we all know that's an exaggeration', but, when you break it down to the fundamental message of the two words 'Open Happiness', that is quite simply what the language suggests.

Let's take another example, I was in London this week and on my journey down to the tube, I observed an advert for Côtes du Rhône red wine. Their slogan was simply this:

"Think red. Think Côtes du Rhône".

Folks, that's just a command.

There is no product information in there, nothing for you to reason with, no opportunity for you to think 'ooh, I certainly approve of their fermenting process'. It is a simple command - whenever you see red, think of Côtes du Rhône red wine.

Now when you take yourself out of this idea that it is simply normal to be surrounded by advertising, and look at that expression on it's own, it becomes quite a surreal thought to see this harmlessly plastered across the London Underground. How would you feel if for the duration of one of your journeys, you were accompanied by someone chanting at you "every time you see the colour blue, imagine listening to Rolf Harris' greatest hits whilst drinking a pint of bovril"? Their mental disposition aside, you would consider it an bullying instruction that invades your boundaries of private thought.

We grow up in a world full of advertising, and it is considered normality. But it has become so normal that we each can become blind to the subliminal influence of the messages on every advert. If in just one example we are being told to simply think of a product on every instance that we see a colour, how much are our thoughts being manipulated through the course of every day? Can you imagine how many commands you may have seen similar to the Côtes du Rhône slogan, and to what extent these may have affected the choices you make in buying on a daily basis? Hey, if we consider it so normal that that slogan be up there, how much more of a stretch is it to just casually feel like a nice drop of red wine whenever we see red?

It's definitely one to think about. I shall consider it further over a nice pint of bovril.

Critical Change Episode 3 now online!

We're back with episode 3! This month's topic is advertising! We've pulled in lots of meaty information in this one, as well as recording a fun little treat for you all!

Let us know your thoughts, and we'll be back once more in December!

Episode 3 will be on ... Advertising!

Our question to you for episode 3 - to what extent do you think advertising is ethical?

Post your responses here, or send to criticalchange@sonisis.com!

October Update

September's Podcast Online!

Hello hello! We're back! Our September Podcast is now available. This month's topic is 'Critical Thinking Vs. Environmental Influences', and explores the ways which we have been conditioned to think by the society which surrounds us.

This episode is slightly longer and hence in three parts. As always we want lots of feedback, let us know what you thought, any ideas for future topics etc. We are always open to constructive criticism!

We have a new feature which we shall continue for the time being, Things that make you feel weird, but shouldn't! Keep dropping your comments in response to this feature!

Enjoy!

Next Episode - A New Question!

In the first week of September we will be releasing the next episode of Critical Change, and the topic we will be exploring for this show is:

The Influence of Our Environment Vs. Critical Thinking

In this episode we will be exploring how our environment sometimes influences us to think in ways that aren't necessarily productive nor positive, and in regards to this exploration, we'd like to ask you this month to name:

Things that make you feel weird, but shouldn't.

These are instances where you have been perhaps prejudiced in some way, regardless of whether this was your intention. So for example, if you're white, I'm sure you've encountered an instance where you weren't sure how to talk about someone else's race, for fear of being racist. Or to quote Ed, he feels weird if he looks at a stranger's children for longer than 3 seconds. These are the sorts of examples we're looking for.



Send us your answers to criticalchange@sonisis.com

Episode 1 Out takes online!

To keep you entertained until our next show, we've put together a selection of out takes recorded whilst preparing for our first show. Hope you enjoy them! Stay tuned, we'll be asking a new question for the next show shortly!

WARNING - CONTAINS MILD PROFANITY - MILD BEING SUBJECTIVE.