Anti-God campaign proves divine marketing
(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 vice president of marketing and communications and has worked in the media, entertainment, and high-tech industries. He is a member of the CNET Blog Network, and is not an employee of CNET.
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.