Is the Grass Greener on the Glo Side?
Mobile Number Porting from network to network and how the telecoms companies are dealing with it, has been big news in the media lately, since the services became available in April 2013. All the telecommunication giants have been throwing everything they have at securing their share of potential new subscribers and for it’s campaign. Glo pulled together a slew of Nigeria’s top music acts and new faces to acquaint subscribers with the benefits of moving to Glo. The full-page print ads have been hard to miss and to drive it home, they’ve had the artists collaborate on a song and an accompanying video.
I finally went online to check it out for myself after hearing quite a bit of buzz about it and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. I found myself smiling as each artist took a turn. The song, Move to Greener Pastures (get it?) features all the newly signed Glo artists – Waje, Omawumi, M.I. Flavour, Naeto C, Lynxxx, Burna Boy, Bez and Chee(formerly Chidynma). Everyone is recognizable and sounds exactly like you’d expect and hope, delivery styles and catch phrases firmly in place, though we could have done with a bit more Flavour I think!
The video opens on Omawumi packing up her bags and singing about moving on –‘tired of your lines, sick of your lies’ and it could be a song about leaving a bad relationship and heartbreak. Considering how frustrating and disheartening poor mobile service can be, I don’t think it’s much of a leap to believe her! Waje in particular, shines on the song, her voice carrying us through the verses and to the hook, but more than that, there is her high energy and commitment to the performance. M.I. is cool as usual, delivering his rap effortlessly while Burna Boy is more new kid cool. Lynxxx is in there with “Utunu”, Naeto C is “gentle oh” and afro soul Bez and Chee change the pace as the song comes to a close with Flavour giving us some of his signature, well, flavour!
The concept behind the video and song is to leave behind a less than satisfying service and move to the where the grass is Glo green. The signature Glo colour highlighted as is to be expected but we are not overwhelmed by it, though at the Glo mansion there was something reminiscent of Heaven’s “pearly gates” at the entrance of the new home. Cheery and accessible, the song and video get the message across clearly and simply. The actors and dancers looked like they had fun with their enthusiasm infectious.
