A party celebrating the uniqueness of our company. A masterclass delivered by two great visionaries.
A group of school children were going on a field trip. They boarded the bus, not realising that the bus was the trip itself. As the bus drove off, they looked out their windows to see… Mars. They were on Mars, driving along the red sand, watching habitats designed to accommodate human life pass by.
It was literally an out-of-this-world experience. And provided one of the examples trend strategist Dion Chang used for how Digital is changing our present… and bringing on a new, exciting future. He discussed how pre-school children were now interacting with APIs like Google Home. A story he told to illustrate this entailed a mother who overheard her young daughter asking Google Assistant all the kinds of questions children would normally ask their weary parents – who has the time and effort to Google every single question a curious child has about the world? But Google itself has infinite patience – and so, now before even entering school, children are brimming with knowledge. The implications are startling. Neurological connections are formed through stimulating the brain, and the younger these connections are made, the smarter the child inevitably will be.
Are we seeing a huge leap in intelligence about to take place with our youngest generation?
Instagram.
Dion also entranced and entertained, while educating, FGX’s clients with how Instagram had changed the way businesses and institutions operate. Like, for instance, in which museums, who used to outlaw photography, are now encouraging it along with their own unique hash tag. So that they gain far more public exposure. This has the real-world effect of bringing in more visitors, and so an influx of capital into these important places. #Neanderthal indeed.
Or how restaurants have redesigned décor, and put a lot more pressure on chefs to make a meal look much more appetising to those snapping pictures of it. Which results in them getting ‘free’ advertising on the Instagram platform.
Fantastic photographer.
Before Dion’s masterclass, we enjoyed an engaging one with Trevor Stuurman, a fashion photographer and cutting-edge creative director. He has collaborated with the best and shown us in his magnificent works. Essentially, he tells an African story, of how an African creative renaissance is happening – there must have been envy in the crowd… because his work has taken him over Africa and he has met the most interesting people and captured the essence of their cultures.
He was even approached by Marvel Studios to work on their Black Panther movie – a movie which shattered Hollywood records when it was released. His contribution included the look-and-feel of the fashion featured in the film. He got their attention through a stunning campaign for Absolut. It’s about the creative revolution happening in Africa, and it involved a photo-shoot with five African artists from all corners of the continent.
Our clients were certainly enthralled by these masters giving their keynotes on important developments in the cultural and technical space, and their impact on Digital and Social Media.
The X-Factor.
Last, but not least, a brand new FGX was introduced to clients. One where we emphasise the X. The X is what makes us all one-of-a-kind. It is each FGX individual’s variable. What makes us extraordinary people. It’s what creates such a unique company – where we celebrate our differences because it’s what makes us stronger as a team. Our strengths create a workplace where we all contribute and pool our various skills. To the point where we are all multi-disciplined, able to handle different types of tasks with ease. We’re not about a job description; we’re about getting the job done. No matter what.
And that’s what the party was about.
A celebration of uniqueness. Which presents an offering to our clients that they won’t find anywhere else.
To our clients and partners with regards to our future: a toast – l’chaim!
