The big day is drawing ever closer and the Man of Many team is ringing in the festive season with a few carols, choccies and a boatload of cheer. If that doesn’t sound like a Feel-Good Friday, I don’t know what does! Christmas is just over one month away and as we count down towards the end of year break, we’re making sure the spirits remain at an all-time high. With that in mind, let’s start the weekend off right with another instalment of vibe-inducing stories.
Briggs Puts Aussie Music Back in the Spotlight
First Nations rapper Briggs is no stranger to standing up for his beliefs, but this time around, he’s doing it in a completely different way. The Aussie music legend has teamed up with music and tech accessories brand Sprout to release a new track that spotlights the challenges facing the local industry. In a stark departure from the G-Funk-inspired sounds of A.B. Original, Briggs has fused hip-hop with metal, breaking down barriers to produce ‘Munarra’, a powerful new anthem.
“I wanted to push the boundaries with this song and the visuals. To tell a story about being an artist and coming up in a hostile environment, where you’re not meant to be or grow,” Briggs said. “That’s what we wanted to explore, growing as an artist in a hostile environment and emerging from that in strength. I think today, the things I faced coming up are still there, but for artists today, now there’s a whole slew of new obstacles to overcome.”
The track, which was released this week, explores the determination required to be successful in the challenging Australian music landscape. In the past 12 months, the domestic scene has lost countless festivals, seen venues shut up shop and musicians forced to give up their dreams. According to the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), despite Australia being the tenth-largest music market in the world, there were only four albums and three singles from Australian artists in 2023’s top 100.
Ben Caddy, Sprout’s general manager explained that the latest collaboration was designed to show the world that Australian musicians are capable of anything. He hopes that this track will encourage more local musicians to keep surging forward with their talents.
“The Australian music industry has had a tough couple of years, so as an Australian brand that has music and sound at its heart, we wanted to shine a light on the best local music out there and encourage the public to support it by listening to more homegrown sound,” Caddy said. “The new Sprout audio range is developed to be uniquely useful in all Australian environments. So, whether you’re after high-quality sound engineering or are inspired to keep pushing to make your mark as a musician, we’ve got you covered.”
Stay in KitKat Cabin This Christmas
We all love a break and this year, KitKat is serving up a Christmas escape. The sweet treat brand has partnered with Booking.com to offer the chance to test out a real-life KitKat Christmas Cabin. Located in Newport, just one hour from Sydney, the beachfront sanctuary is decked out to look like the KitKat Christmas Cabin Kit. From a giant KitKat finger and Smartie pillows to a personalised cabin creation station, this getaway is a sweet tooth’s dream, but there is more on offer than just candy.
The cabin, which had its final touches added by social media stars Josh and Matt, has its own private beach access, a swimming pool, and three bedrooms. Valued at $4,650 for a two-night stay, it’s the perfect place to unwind and take a break with the family over the summer break. Best of all, you could test it out for free.
KitKat is offering one lucky winner the opportunity to win the ultimate Christmas break at the IRL Booking.com KitKat Christmas Cabin. All you have to do is buy a KitKat Cabin Kit and create your own cabin with friends or family and upload your completed Aussie-themed KitKat Christmas Cabin Kit to your Instagram main feed with the hashtag #KitKatCabinComp by 11.59pm AEDT on 5 December. The winner will be drawn from there, with the lucky family scoring a holiday getaway that (sweet) dreams are made of! The KitKat Christmas Cabin Kit is available to purchase now at all major retailers.
OzHarvest & Kakadu Kitchen Launch Second ‘Conscious Drink’
Kakadu Kitchen has teamed up with social enterprise OzHarvest Ventures to relaunch their highly successful ‘Conscious Drink’ for another year. Arriving just in time for the silly season, the delicious, lightly sparkling wine-alternative drink is made from Australian rescued and native ingredients, bringing attention to ethical harvesting of native bush botanicals.
The first edition of the ‘Conscious Drink’ sold out just weeks after its release last December, prompting the two organisations to scale up production. This season, over two tonnes of blueberries that would have normally gone to waste have been saved from Coffs Harbour in New South Wales, juiced and combined with native wild lemongrass, pepperberry, lemon tea tree and oldman saltbush, then lightly carbonated.
According to Kakadu Kitchen founder and proud Bininj man, Ben Tyler, the new drink offers a rare opportunity to see ethical production in process. The entrepreneur grew up learning about bush foods from his Murumburr family and kin-relations in Kakadu National Park and West Arnhem Land, whihc is why this course is so important to him.
“Our mission at Kakadu Kitchen is to respectfully share Bininj-Mungguy culture through food with as many people as possible while promoting First Nation voices in the Australian bush food industry,” Tyler said. “Beyond ‘just a drink’, we exist to promote a healthier drinking culture. We want to spark conscious conversations around issues that affect remote Aboriginal communities including lack of access to affordable, nutritious food as well as health, climate and biodiversity threats.”
The latest release of Kakadu Kitchen X OzHarvest ‘Conscious Drink’ is available now for $30 online and at selected venues and can be purchased directly at OzHarvest. Every 750ml crown-sealed bottle sold enables OzHarvest to deliver two meals to people in need and contributes to Kakadu Kitchen’s vision of growing native and edible plants in Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory, promoting food security and biodiversity.
The North Face Supports Nepali High-Altitude Workers
Outdoor adventure brand The North Face has launched a new collection in support of Nepali high-altitude workers. The limited collection celebrates the 20th anniversary of the Khumbu Climbing Center, a community-based program for workers that aims to increase the safety margin of Nepali climbers by encouraging responsible climbing practices.
Showcasing their proud, long-standing support of KCC’s mission, The North Face’s new Khumbu Collection features a limited run of apparel and accessories adorned with the KCC’s iconic tiger logo and mission statement. The collection includes a rendition of the Denali fleece and Base Camp Duffel with a supporting assortment of logo wear.
