When I watch the Super Bowl, I usually end up skipping the commercials.
I do this because the players on the field aren’t the only people getting blindsided during the game. You and I are being bombarded with a hefty dosage of a not-so-subtle agenda.
You might like to think that TV is mindless and without an agenda, but no one spends 5 million dollars (this year’s average cost according to Sports Illustrated) on a 30-second ad without having an agenda behind it.
It usually takes only a few ads for me to get a fresh look at the latest packaging of Hollywood and 5th Avenue, sprinkled with a hefty dose of pride, lust, and greed.
I love analyzing the messaging that marketers use in their campaigns. You’ll learn a lot about the agenda—and the belief system—-behind them. You might also see how opposite some of them are to God’s Word.
Here are a few of my not-so-favorite opposite advertisements:
Ads that say you can achieve your ambitions if you just “lean in”. God tells you to “lean not” on your own understanding. (Proverbs 3:5-6)
Ads that say you can have it your way. God tells you that there is only one way. (John 14:6)
Ads that say you can find glory in success. God says to find glory in Him alone. (Jeremiah 9:23-34)
Ads that say to follow your heart. God warns that only a fool trusts in his heart. (Proverbs 28:26)
Ads that say you have the right to live however you choose. God tells you true life only comes when you deny yourself and follow Him. (Luke 9:23)
And that’s just a few examples.
In 2006, CBS News published a story that estimated that people are exposed to as many as 5,000 ads per day, compared to 500 ads in the 1970’s.
But this reporting was done 12 years ago, before social media, internet streaming, and smartphones took over our lives.
The next time you see an ad, don’t just think about the product. Think about the agenda behind the ad.
You’ll see much more than just a product or a message.
You’ll discover the brand’s belief system—and what they want you to ultimately believe too.
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