knowledge at work assignment -

Zozoo ad: Vodafone; musical greetings

The advertisement displays a zozoo lying in the hospital bed with a fractured leg. another zozoo emerges from a gift box and starts playing a musical instrument which is as creative and imaginary as the zozoo itself. This musical instrument is an admixture of a trumpet, saxophone, flute and other instruments assembled haphazardly to look like one musical instrument. The lyrics of the tune played are “he is a jolly good fellow, he is a jolly good fellow, he is a jolly good fellow, so say all of us”. This has been selected with a purpose namely- to cheer and boost the morale of the injured.
The ad itself is an ingenious and implausible piece of art. The making of the ad is creatively outstanding. Originally people thought that the zozoo characters are animations conceived and developed on the computer, but it is not so. The zozoo, like most Disney characters, is a mascot and the advertisement is used not only to convey the message of the advantages of the Vodafone musical “sms” but also to emphasize its role in bridging geographical barriers.
Though the zozoo has broken his leg and cannot move around and communicate with the rest of the world, he is not a victim of loneliness and isolation as another zozoo reaches out to him and makes his day by playing the musical band. The aspect of musical sms propagated by the Vodafone has more than just advertising value. Music is one aspect which connects people all over the world and has played a significant role in the healing of psychological ailments since the beginning of recorded history.

In ancient Greece, Apollo was both the god of music and medicine thus revealing the close and complimentary relationship between the two. According to Ancient Greeks, Music is an art imbued with power and it nourishes us in ways we don't even realize. It inspires us, relaxes us, and energizes us–in short, it heals us and keeps us well. The universe is a symphony of many sounds interacting and vibrating harmoniously.

Music in this zozoo ad is most prominent as it is used as a therapy for the ailing zozoo. Anyone who is bedridden and cannot go about his own mundane activities is bound to feel a sense of worthlessness and depression and is in need of psychological healing more than physical healing. The rhythm of a good piece of music has a serene effect on one’s emotional mindset and helps to minimize the desolate feeling.

The concept of musical sms introduced by the Vodafone is a long leap in the field of technological advancement scientific progress has undoubtedly brought the world closer and has quickened the pace of many activities one of them being reaching out to people who are dear but not geographically near. It is a boon to the consumer and a feather in the cap for the advertising team which has conceived and created the zozoo ad which upholds the eternal need for human interaction.