[Today’s post contains three very different but interesting short news stories about presence. –Matthew]
[From AdNews; see the original version (or YouTube) for the 90 second ad]
‘Children Should Be Seen and Heard’ in a poignant ad industry-backed campaign
Creative Agency: Zenith
March 1, 2023
MissingSchool, Cocogun, Scoundrel, Rumble, UnLtd and Zenith have teamed up with their latest campaign ‘Don’t you forget about me’, to reconnect seriously sick kids with school.
The integrated campaign features a rousing children’s chorus covering the ’80s hit Don’t You (Forget About Me) by the Scottish rock band Simple Minds.
The ad shows sick children interacting with their peers and taking part in the North Rocks Public School children’s choir through the use of assistive telepresence robots, in a poignant reminder of the importance of connection and interaction – even when children aren’t physically present at school.
The campaign, which will run across TV, OOH and digital, signals the launch of MissingSchool’s revolutionary Seen&Heard initiative, starting with a one-year nationwide pilot program, aiming to scale to all schools by 2025.
The Seen&Heard initiative will help schools adopt ‘teach once’ telepresence technology including implementing school robots, training teachers, and supporting vulnerable students and their parents/carers in real time. Educational animations will be produced for peers and siblings of sick children.
Seen&Heard will also join forces with children’s illness groups and health professionals to assist schools and families with critical illness information designed in a way to support the student’s learning journey and social-emotional wellbeing.
Megan Gilmour, MissingSchool founder and CEO said: “School is a right for every child, yet up to a third or 1.2 million of our nation’s children with a complex medical or mental health condition can face school isolation. Beyond the everyday trauma of their health crisis, they feel forgotten and isolated, through no fault of their own.
“The Seen&Heard pilot, spearheaded by the integrated Don’t you forget about me campaign, will assist schools and families in reconnecting kids stuck at home in a health crisis. The only cure for absence is presence, through telepresence technology and a dedicated support service.”
[snip]
“UnLtd approached Scoundrel because Executive Producer Adrian had seen the positive impact of the MissingSchool program on a seriously sick child in his daughter’s class. So many good people collaborated to shine a necessary light on these often forgotten kids, and drive positive change for them.”
Director James Dive said: “Telepresence in Australian schools is a bittersweet conversation.
“We know the technology makes a huge difference to kids’ wellbeing, yet so few have access to it. This bittersweet equation became the basis of the film. There is hope, but equally this underlying void.”
Megan Kay, managing director at Zenith, said: “Zenith is proud to partner with MissingSchool. We are confident that our support will benefit so many sick kids in such an impactful way.”
This campaign is supported with pro bono media from Nine, Seven, Paramount, SBS, Domain, ARN, ATN, Tonic Media Network, Gumtree, Broadsheet, News, ACM, QMS and JCD.
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[From Complex, where the original includes the 1:13 minute video (also available on YouTube). See the New Murabba website for more information.]
[Image: Source: Forbes]
Saudi Arabia Reveals Plans for Cube-Shaped Skyscraper the Size of 20 Empire State Buildings
By Trace William Cowen
February 21, 2023
Plans for a cube-shaped skyscraper in Saudi Arabia’s capital promise “a gateway to another world,” complete with the implementation of what’s being billed as groundbreaking holographic tech.
You’ve no doubt seen images and footage of the indeed otherworldly design making the rounds on social media in recent days following last week’s announcement by Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, who also serves as chairman of the New Murabba Development Company.
The Mukaab building, specifically, is designed to be the focal point of a new downtown space in Riyadh. As detailed in ensuing coverage of the 1,312-foot high cube, including from Futurism and CNN (among numerous others), the announcement has spurred both excitement and skepticism.
Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, known as the Public Investment Fund (PIF), says the Mukaab—once completed—will stand as the “first immersive, experiential destination” in the world. Per the PIF, its 400 meters by 400 meters size is massive enough to hold 20 Empire State Buildings.
As for those touted holographic tech aspects, a promo video shared by PIF (as seen up top) teases that visitors to the space will be virtually introduced to depictions of Mars and other “magical worlds.”
An exact launch date for the skyscraper has not been set. However, local officials have said the larger New Murabba project is slated to be finished by 2030.
Of note, and as highlighted amid coverage of the Mukaab development plans, is that Saudi Arabia has long been criticized in connection with human rights issues. Most recently, for example, the Human Rights Watch organization outlined a series of alleged human rights violations as part of its annual World Report coverage.
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[From CNN; see the original version for two more pictures.]
Indian temple goes ‘cruelty- free’ with life-sized robotic elephant
By Sana Noor Haq, CNN
February 28, 2023
A life-sized mechanical elephant will take part in ceremonies at a temple in the southern Indian state of Kerala, amid concerns about the welfare of animals used for rituals.
The animal-like model, which is 10 feet 6 inches (3.2 meters) tall, is called Irinjadappilly Raman. It will be used to conduct ceremonies at the Irinjadappilly Sree Krishna Temple in a “safe and cruelty-free” way, according to a press release from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) in India, which donated the elephant.
The majority of elephants in captivity in India are held illegally, or have been dispatched to a different state without permission, the animal rights organization said.
The animals are subject to harsh punishments and beatings with weapons that have a metal-tipped hook, PETA India added. As a result, many sustain painful foot injuries and leg wounds after being shackled to concrete for long periods of time.
Elephants can display antisocial behavior after being deprived of adequate food, water or veterinary care. Frustrated elephants often try to break free of captivity, and as a result can harm other animals, humans or property, the group added.
Community leaders participated in a religious ceremony – known as a Nadayiruthal – to induct the donated robot into the temple on Sunday.
Rajkumar Namboothiri, head priest of the temple, said he was “extremely happy and grateful” for the donation.
“We are extremely happy and grateful to receive this mechanical elephant which will help us to conduct our rituals and festivals in a cruelty-free way, and we hope that other temples will also think about replacing live elephants for rituals,” Namboothiri said in the release.
Actress Parvathy Thiruvothu, a supporter of the project, said the move will help animals have “respectful and dignified lives.”
“In this day and age, we have access to understanding what animals are forced to endure when humans use them for entertainment,” Thiruvothu said in the release.
“It’s high time we made stronger and more impactful strides towards stopping such abuse and letting animals have respectful and dignified lives.”
PETA India said that captive elephants killed 526 people in Kerala over a 15-year period, from 1997 to 2012.