by Alistair Mokoena (@AlistairMokoena) Ever wondered what life was like in ancient times, before money arrived on the scene? Were goods traded in exchange for other goods, or bartered in exchange for services. Or was there some form of quasi-currency? What if the ‘buyer’ had nothing to give in return, would this stop the ‘sale’? Were you considered poor if you had no possessions? And if you were, did you go hungry or was society charitable?
The reason I ask these questions is that money is so central to our lives today that it’s near impossible to imagine the world without it. It’s good to have a currency; it facilitates trade and generally makes life convenient. I can’t imagine using silver and maize to pay for parking at a mall. Money in itself is therefore a good thing.
The love of money, however, is problematic. Many of the problems we face today can be traced to our love of money. Greed, corruption, crime, 
crass materialism, terrorism, wars, you name it, can be linked to a desire to possess more.
This is an important debate for us advertisers. Almost every client brief we receive asks for aspirational communication. The million dollar question is: What is the currency of aspiration? Is it material trappings of success or is it traditional values. In other words, is it about living ‘le good life’ or is it about being and doing good? I see these ideals as two sides of the same coin which must co-exist.
Let me just say that I believe that materialism is not a bad thing. In fact, it fuels the world economy. Many of us would be out of jobs if there was no market for the lovely trappings of success we peddle. Aspiring to better looks and a more chiseled body is also not a bad thing. Many of us enjoy the finer things in life and it doesn’t really matter what your motivation is.
For some of us, we get a kick out of living the good life. And for others it’s for external validation. It doesn’t matter how we end up possessing these things, what matters are the impact they have on how we relate to others.
But the minute values give way to materialism, humanity suffers. Having less is frowned upon and having lots is worshipped. Some even go as far as saying money is the world’s most dominant religion.
There has never been a bigger need for materialism to be tempered with ancient traditional values (updated to reflect our culture of human rights, equality and liberty for all of course) as there is today. That’s what purposeful marketing is about. It’s about elevating regard for values such as ubuntu, self-sacrifice, hospitality, cooperation, respect for others and a sense of good human relations where ‘sharing is caring’. These values promote cooperation over competition and in that way leave they the world better off.
[pullquote]As advertisers we have a choice between turning a blind eye to the adverse effects of crass materialism on the one hand, and promoting a more socially responsive brand of material success, on the other. After all, material things come and go whilst good wholesome values last forever.[/pullquote]
Brands that have managed to imbue material success with wholesome values tend to have much stronger resonance. For example, Johnnie Walker’s promise of personal progress is not self-serving, it is rather about personal progress that is aimed at making a positive contribution to society.
Remember the famous Apple commercial which featured even more famous people who dared to be different like Albert Einstein, Arthur Miller and the Dalai Lama? All these people left the world a better place.
Remember the well-documented Dove ‘real beauty’ campaign which for the first time elevated regard for natural over Hollywood’s idea of beauty?
Then, Castle Milk Stout talks about ‘true greatness comes from within’. Coke promotes good old happiness, something that billions of people around the world strive for everyday. Old Mutual tells us ‘do great things’ as a rallying call for consumers to invest in a brighter future for themselves and their loved ones.
Other brands that manage to bring together the world of material success with traditional values include Klipdrift and Bells. Remember the Klipdfrit ‘met eish ja’ commercial that saw a white Afrikaner family hosting a black family? That commercial drove social cohesion and good human relations. Another is the latest FNB Stadium commercial which not only promotes the FNB brand but leaves one feeling incredibly patriotic.
As advertisers we have a choice between turning a blind eye to the adverse effects of crass materialism on the one hand, and promoting a more socially responsive brand of material success, on the other. After all, material things come and go whilst good wholesome values last forever.
We know what the client wants, but is this the right thing for the consumer and consumer’s children? At the end of time, man will be remembered for his deeds and not his worldly possessions.
Alistair Mokoena (@AlistairMokoena) is a Unilever-trained Chartered Marketer with lots of blue-chip marketing experience. He’s currently MD of Draftfcb Joburg. Mokoena contributes the monthly “The Switch” column to MarkLives.com.
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