There have been some pretty crazy and arb trends over the years and though many have caught like wildfire, none has been as bad – or as good – as South Africans’ response to NekNomination.
NekNomination started out as harmless fun, a drinking game that involved downing large amounts of beer while performing some strange or crazy task, videotaping it and nominating someone else to do something as extreme while chugging down as much alcohol as possible, of course.
The online drinking game, which went viral in a matter of days, escalated from drinking a pint of beer outside a woman’s house to drinking full bottles of vodka, swallowing live goldfish and cliff jumping.
As more people joined the craze the tasks became more outlandish and extreme.
However, all that stopped after South African Brent Lindeque was NekNominated by an Australian friend. He decided to switch things up and change what began as a random act of stupidity into a random act of kindness.
Lindeque carried out a different task to fulfil his NekNomination. He decided to pay it forward with kindness by giving a roadside beggar a sandwich, chocolate and a bottle of Coke. Judging by the man’s smile on the YouTube video, Lindeque certainly made his day.
Fellow South African Andrew Ross jumped on the bandwagon and donated toys to township children who had no access to recreational facilities.
More South Africans – including large corporates like First National Bank and KFC – have joined the feel-good NekNomination craze that’s leaving smiles on many faces.
Robbie Ragless of New World Immigration and Yakeen Sadiq from Ragstar Media both nominated Nando’s in the feel-good NekNomination, and Nando’s, never one to chicken out on a challenge, soon stepped up to the plate.
Nando’s general manager of marketing and communications Lindani Mnyandu was quoted in an article in SA Breaking News saying, “At Nando’s we try always to have the courage to do the right thing, and when we were NekNominated we knew we had to help Brent Lindeque achieve his turnaround dream, as well as reward the faith shown in us by Robbie Ragless and Yakeen Sadiq.”
Hopefully the feel-good action started by Brent Lindeque will soon eclipse the dangerous drinking game that first launched NekNomination.
“Downing beer is easy – imagine doing something to make a difference,” says Lindeque.