January 11, 2009 4:52 PM PST

Anti-God campaign proves divine marketing

by Tim Leberecht
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(Credit: Atheist Bus Org)

People say that marketing's job is to create believers. The atheistic Anti-God ad campaign in the UK that has stirred attention at home and abroad does the opposite: it endorses the beliefs of non-believers (and maybe - stretch goal - tries to convert some believers into non-believers). "There is probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life," claim posters that appear on 800 buses in England, Scotland, and Wales, as well as on the London Underground. The campaign was initiated by the British Humanist Association and is supported by scientist and vocal atheist Richard Dawkins.

The organization Christian Voice has filed a complaint to the British Advertising Standards Authority accusing the campaign of breaking rules on substantiation and truthfulness, but not all Christians object to it. In fact, some even welcome public discussions about God. The Rev. Jenny Ellis, spirituality and discipleship officer for the Methodist Church, said: "This campaign will be a good thing if it gets people to engage with the deepest questions of life."

In any case, the posters and the subsequent public debate seem to have successfully resolved what French sociologist ?mile Durkheim considered to be the central characteristic of religion: the dichotomy between the sacred and the profane. It is perhaps marketing's biggest strength that it can highlight the sacred in the profane and the profane in the sacred. The campaign may claim that there is (probably) no God, but it has proven the existence of "marketing with meaning": Provocative marketing that makes you think by challenging the most fundamental beliefs in the most mundane places.

Tim Leberecht is Frog Design's of vice president of marketing and communications. He has worked in the media, entertainment, and high-tech industries. Most recently, he was the head of corporate communications at Mindjet, a provider of mind-mapping software for the enterprise. Prior to Mindjet, he served as a press chief for the Athens 2004 International Olympic Torch Relay and in marketing communications for Deutsche Telekom in Germany. Tim runs the iPlot blog, and has published and spoken about branding, organizational communication, social media, and attention economics. Tim is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CNET.
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by Imalittleteapot January 11, 2009 8:58 PM PST
"There is probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life." Well if you're doin it right, it can help you to enjoy your life. I wonder what they think of us? It's not like we just sit around saying life sucks, Oh God! Life sucks, Oh God! all the time. Maybe that's what they do?

If they really want to focus on people that aren't enjoying their life they should check those emo kids. Anyway, they need to stop worrying about if I'm a believer or not and just enjoy their life too right?

Worrying about creationism being taught in school is one thing and can be debated, but debate on this topic would be the exact of opposite of simply enjoying life. If they really just wanted everyone to enjoy their life and stop worrying then why bother? Why the sign? Why the insistence that evolution be taught instead? Why don't they just enjoy life as well? Good old fashion hypocrites perhaps? In a war of ideas it would be nice if we just sat back and relaxed wouldn't it? Ahh, perhaps that's the plan? Except the sign is written in a way to convert us! Atheism is a religion itself is an argument that's being passed around. I now find myself truly convinced of that.

Look man, I don't care if you don't wanna go to heaven. Don't drag me off my cloud though yo. Chances are high I won't make it that far anyway even if God is real.

However, I know deep down inside no one on the face of the earth has ever advertised for any reason other than that of the almighty dollar. That goes for believers and non-believers. You don't put up a sign unless you want to something. I don't know if it's just their books they're trying to sell or what they're trying to sell me here, but there are much better ways than starting a new religion. Seriously, it's been done before people. I may believe in a mythical sky fairy, but to believe that whoever is responsible for that sign actually gives a crap for anyone's well being over their own self interest just simply takes more faith than I could ever muster up.
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by aussiebarney May 31, 2009 10:11 AM PDT
we dont suggest athiest is a new religion where did you get that ? . but we are trying to open your mind , that you wont go to heaven or hell so live your life stop being a slave to a mythical sky fairy . Its time to wake up and see what you really are a animal who has evolved . to be human is the most amazing thing to be able to know how things work . so why close your mind to the truth that we may be the first animal in the universe to get to this stage or one of thousands but either way we are very lucky . knowing this our goal is not to destroy the planet or the life mother earth has made to be custodians of our beutiful planet . yes we want something we want peope to stop killing each other over whos god is better or for not believing in this human creation religions . to us all relgions are just cults and you would agree if it was accults you would want them gone too . but you hold onto yours even thou by reading what you have written you dont believe you will make it anyways , i have never hurt anyone never stole never had sex with someone else if im in a relationship so by all rights i would make it except i know its just made up to keep you a slave and take money of people who are trying to find a purpose . being brainwashed from birth you will believe anything . i know the meaning of life sit down ill tell you ready . like all animals we have the same purpose to reproduce thats it . but being human lets you have more than this you get to have imagination a interest in how things work so why dont you try and learn . religion is on tv a church is a big sign saying god is here 1000s of years of fairtails is a hard thing to get rid of but give us a few hundred years and we may fix that or we are doomed and so will all life on this planet . but earth will go on and just start over our choice . what pics your religion well depends who your parents are not what god makes you . the evidence for god zero besides faith evidence for athiesim is well everything it all links together . i hope one day you see the light and join the human race and your cousins the other animals it really is amazing how beutiful the animal kingdom and earth is if you know this . religion has been in all country so its accepted but for the truth you have to listen to a race that wasnt inslaved with this fairytails and havent had wars over our god is better than yours . the aborigines of australia have a type of religion called dreamtime it basically descibes how rivers where made by big snakes etc but more importantly they know they where a animal just like the kangaroos etc .
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About Matter/Anti-Matter

Tim Leberecht and Adam Richardson both work for Frog Design, a consulting firm specialized in designing innovative products and services for Fortune 500 clients. On the Matter / Anti-Matter blog, they engage in a debate around questions they face day-to-day in their work, using convergence/divergence as a lens through which to look at the pressing issues in business, culture, and technology. What makes a successful convergent product or a successful divergent innovation? Is convergence a myth that users don't really care about, or is the current state of convergence just not satisfying enough for them to embrace? How much divergence of innovation is good, and when does it just become confusing? How do you stay on top of people's ever changing needs and wants?

They are members of the CNET Blog Network and are not employees of CNET.

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