Remember the days when there was no need for face masks, social distancing or Zoom calls? Well, while we're not quite there yet, it doesn’t hurt to dream.
Now, a new advert from Extra gum that’s gone viral has us all imagining what life will be like post-pandemic. The video has been watched more than 1.5 million times since it was posted on YouTube on May 3.
The commercial, titled For When It's Time, takes place "sometime in the not so distant future" and envisions the day when lockdowns (and all their measures) finally end.
Set to Celine Dion's 1996 hit It's All Coming Back to Me, the video starts with a radio announcement: "And this just in, we are back! We can see people again! How about that?" before cutting to different listeners hearing the news.
Soon, bearded men emerge from their apartments, people quickly log off Zoom and couples are able to meet up in parks without the need for masks or social distancing.
Of course, in the end, it is still a commercial for gum. However, the promise of life returned to normal has likely helped the advert reach viral heights.
Viewers have also made this known by commenting on the video, with one saying, "this is perhaps the best reopening commercial I've seen". Another commenter added: "This ad made my day."
Other post-pandemic posts that have gone viral
Last month, a social media post from illustrator and cartoonist Tomer Hanuka, who lives in New York, was retweeted more than 35,000 times. He shared a thread in which he asked his third-year university illustration students to imagine life after the pandemic in the style of a New Yorker magazine cover.
Each cover illustrated by the students explores themes such as reconnection, loss and nature. A poignant cover image created by Dou Hong showed two figures on a park bench: one an older woman, the other an outline of a man but instead filled with names of Covid-19 victims. It was liked almost 60,000 times.
With the semester almost done, Hanuka told The Washington Post that he gave them the faux-cover assignment because he was "looking to send them off in a positive state of mind".
Google also created a well-received video called Get Back to What You Love on March 23, in a push to encourage more people to get vaccinated, that also imagined post-pandemic life. The video has been watched more than 11 million times since its upload.
The minute-long video chronicles search terms throughout the pandemic and illustrates how those terms may be changing as a result of vaccinations, allowing the world to reopen again to in-person events.
Google search terms transform from “sweat pants” to “pants”, with the words "virtual", "online", "postponed" and "cancelled" also disappearing from searches. There are also examples of businesses reopening again on Google Maps. The video ends with the message "Get back to what you love" with a final Google search looking up “Covid vaccine near me".
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GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
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- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
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EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
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Our commentary on Brexit
- Con Coughlin: Choice of the British people will be vindicated
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Director: Laila Abbas
Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum
Rating: 4/5
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
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The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
THE DETAILS
Solo: A Star Wars Story
Director: Ron Howard
2/5
if you go
The flights
Air Astana flies direct from Dubai to Almaty from Dh2,440 per person return, and to Astana (via Almaty) from Dh2,930 return, both including taxes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Almaty cost from Dh1,944 per night including taxes; and in Astana the new Ritz-Carlton Astana (www.marriott) costs from Dh1,325; alternatively, the new St Regis Astana costs from Dh1,458 per night including taxes.
When to visit
March-May and September-November
Visas
Citizens of many countries, including the UAE do not need a visa to enter Kazakhstan for up to 30 days. Contact the nearest Kazakhstan embassy or consulate.
The five pillars of Islam
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Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
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- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
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Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
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APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
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Engine: 8.0-litre, quad-turbo 16-cylinder
Transmission: 7-speed auto
0-100kmh 2.3 seconds
0-200kmh 5.5 seconds
0-300kmh 11.6 seconds
Power: 1500hp
Torque: 1600Nm
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City's slump
L - Juventus, 2-0
D - C Palace, 2-2
W - N Forest, 3-0
L - Liverpool, 2-0
D - Feyenoord, 3-3
L - Tottenham, 4-0
L - Brighton, 2-1
L - Sporting, 4-1
L - Bournemouth, 2-1
L - Tottenham, 2-1
