As businesses and employees grapple with the extraordinary measures imposed to combat COVID-19, Baker McKenzie has provided a degree of continuity by making a video of lawyers gyrating about looking foolish, just like firms did before everyone had to work in separate corners of their bedroom.
Baker McKenzie was one of the first firms to shutter its offices in response to the pandemic, and it has also been ahead of the curve producing a musical public service announcement.
'Ghen Co Vy', written to the tune of a Vietnamese pop song in collaboration with Vietnam’s National Institute of Occupational and Environmental Health, has been re-enacted around the world. With lyrics urging people to “rub, rub, rub” their hands together, no self-respecting law firm could be expected to pass up the opportunity to release its own version.
The tribute from Bakers' Hanoi office begins with a man who is unaware that it is no longer acceptable to gob over receptionists.
One upside of COVID is that we don't have to tolerate spittle being sprayed into our eyes and mouths.
The video already feels like a relic from a bygone era, where face masks were freely available and people held physical meetings. Of course workers are still being permitted to attend offices to perform essential functions, so Bakers' map of global domination should continue to get stroked.
Last year this would have been a niche fetish video.
Idiot boy then fails to cover his virus holes properly, until he is sternly corrected.
Those screensavers betray a distinct lack of work being done.
Covogue-19
The cast are then afflicted by a largely unreported symptom of the coronavirus, uncontrollable arm spasming.
It's too late for them, lock the doors.
The crew then assemble in small rooms to facilitate superspreading, albeit with clean hands.
Pre-social distancing, how quaint.
Before the poor coronavirus tries to make a dash for the exit.
Virus-eye view.
"It's interesting to see the differing approaches taken by each office", said a carefully neutral source.
"Creating public awareness for major health issues such as the global Covid-19 outbreak is a key priority for the Vietnamese Government, and sharing videos, songs and performance are an important way of conveying messages in Vietnamese society", said a spokesperson for Baker McKenzie.
"Our Hanoi office saw the opportunity to contribute to this effort, and also boost morale and team spirit amongst our colleagues and community, by sharing our version of the Covid-19 song and dance that has become very popular here in Vietnam. This in no way should be viewed as diminishing the seriousness with which we view the virus".
For the record, RollOnFriday wholly approves of this sort of thing. If you can't groove-teach hygiene during a pandemic, we might as well all give up now.
If you've been demonstrating social distancing through the medium of dance, send it in.
