Despite its aim to raise Gospel awareness, the campaign has faced considerable pushback from critics who question the-non-profit organization's lack of transparency. Some question the appropriateness of using advertisements to spread the faith and whether genuine spiritual growth can be achieved through large-scale advertising.
A similar effort was launched back in the late 1990s. Some will remember the "God Speaks from Above" initiative -- a national public service campaign in which messages from "God" were displayed on billboards and bus shelters in various cities. The series was sponsored by an anonymous donor who contributed a substantial amount of his own funds. In the donor's words, "I wanted to remind people of God, especially people who used to go to Church and for some reason don't go anymore, which is a good-sized group."
Among the billboard and bus shelter messages from "God" that appeared were the following:
"I don't question your existence!"
"Loved the wedding, invite me to the marriage."
"Have you read My Number 1 bestseller? There will be a test."
"Will the road you're on get you to My place?"
"That 'Love Thy Neighbor' thing, I mean it!"
On one American city street, where commuter traffic was heaviest, passing motorists were admonished, "Keep using My Name in vain, and I'll make rush hours longer." These four words also appeared on one huge billboard in plain white letters on a stark, black background: "We need to talk!" The message is signed, "God."
Word has it that we can expect to see more of the same in broadcasts of this year's football Super Bowl broadcasts.
Whether you accept the premise that large-scale advertising results in genuine spiritual growth or not, I suspect many today welcome and long for more inspirational and confirming messages from above.
While marketing professionals will tell you there is usually a monetary compo to analyzing effective branding, the bottom line can be summed up not in material value but in eternal values. And there is no better free-for-nothing bottom-line message to convey than this: "Love one another!"
I know...I know, this all involves so much idealistic thinking! And finding love for others is not always easy in some instances.
Love has to come from the heart! Just think about it...Then search for it, if you have to...You are sure to find it!
And by designating that new-found love from deep within you, in one minuscule moment at least, the world will be a better place.
Whether you accept the premise that large-scale advertising results in genuine spiritual growth or not, I suspect many today welcome and long for more inspirational and confirming messages from above.
While marketing professionals will tell you there is usually a monetary compo to analyzing effective branding, the bottom line can be summed up not in material value but in eternal values. And there is no better free-for-nothing bottom-line message to convey than this: "Love one another!"
I know...I know, this all involves so much idealistic thinking! And finding love for others is not always easy in some instances.
Love has to come from the heart! Just think about it...Then search for it, if you have to...You are sure to find it!
And by designating that new-found love from deep within you, in one minuscule moment at least, the world will be a better place.
Others will get the message intuitively...high-cost ad campaigns aside.
We can be our own virtual billboards in every day life!
No comments:
Post a Comment