You know that All That Matters is a special event when the world-famous muppet Cookie Monster is one of the keynote speakers.
Branded is holding Asia’s leading entertainment industry conference 100 percent online this year from Sept. 14-18 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. All That Matters has turned this challenge into an opportunity to embrace change and display even more creativity. Going virtual has enabled All That Matters to bring together a diverse — and unconventional — lineup of speakers. These include Sesame Street’s Cookie Monster and Elmo, Linkin Park’s Mike Shinoda, rapper Chuck D, and playwright David Mamet.
Embracing change
“We may be physically distant and far from each other. But we all are connected through our hearts. Just like how me and you are connected right now. Me video call and talk to my friends and make sure they all are doing fine during this lockdown,” Cookie Monster told Branded Co-Founder and CEO Jasper Donat during his session.
“The events space has been given the most mighty shakeup, but the opportunities of being 100 percent virtual are that people can now attend or speak at our event when they typically wouldn’t be able to,” Donat said in a press statement.
Cookie Monster has been educating and entertaining generations of children for over fifty years since his debut in 1969. The muppet is certainly an example of an icon that has stayed relevant by embracing change.
In fact, Cookie Monster, who was at the virtual event courtesy of Sesame Workshop India, promoted their YouTube channel. Sesame Workshop India’s YouTube channel has proven to be an engaging channel for educating kids and reminding them about anti-COVID measures, such as washing their hands.
Staying relevant
As the world changes, everyone must learn to become more creative. This includes mixing the virtual and the real in order to stay relevant.
“At Branded, we have evolved to cope with the pandemic very quickly. As a business we’re having a lot of fun experimenting and doing things differently. We’re now welcoming pop stars and rock stars, fashion designers, gamers, and even globally-known kids’ entertainment characters to speak at our festivals — making our panels truly the first of its kind. To have Cookie Monster speaking alongside brands such as Twitch, the opportunities for creativity are endless,” Donat said.
Donat asked Cookie Monster what advice he would give his younger self.
“Well you see, Jasper, me Cookie Monster, are forever young monster. And me getting younger and younger every day. So me give advice to my younger self to be more kind and loving and spread more joy around the world. And of course, to learn to make and bake more delicious cookies and never leave a cookie unattended, no matter where you are and what you’re doing,” the famous muppet said.
To be more kind and loving and spread more joy. Now, more than ever, this is what the whole world needs.
