I'm going to make it to the Major Leagues!

“There is a time when all that is better is before us. A time of hope, hope fastened to a game. Hope not so much to be the best to ever play the game, but simply to stay in the game and ride it wherever it goes. Just do it.” ~Nike

The sports field has become a source of excitement, dreams, expectations, and hopes throughout our world. As children, everyone tends to have that one athlete that we look up to, idolize, and want to be like when we grow up. For me, I always wished that I could play soccer like Mia Hamm, shoot hoops like Michael Jordan, throw a football like Tom Brady, and hit homeruns like Big Papi (David Ortiz). They were my heroes because they were in the lime light-they were famous, talented, and popular. I wanted to have their talent, lead the team, and be the star. 

Don’t we all?

                Well, obviously, every child cannot become the Mia Hamms and Tom Bradys of the world. Not everyone can be the hero that scores the winning basket in the game or runs fifty yards for a touchdown with one minute to go. The world of professional sports would be nonexistent if this was the case. 

                But there is always that dream, that desire, that possibility, that hope that maybe, just maybe, I could be the one to make it; that if I work hard enough, practice enough, run myself into the ground enough, I could be the one to make it to the Major Leagues, the NBA, the NCAA, the World Cup, or the Olympics. Most young athletes have hope that they will one day become someone great. However, our world tends to shoot down these hopes and dreams, telling kids not to get their hopes up, for they will only be broken in the years to come. Kids work so hard and it amounts to nothing because the world finds value only in people that are worthy of fame, excellence, and popularity.

                Nike, one of the leading sports corporations in the world, uses a variety of ways to advertise to a wide array of people, from kids and teens, to professionals and even the general public. However, one of its key advertising components is its ability to play on the hopes and dreams of young kids to succeed in their athletic dreams. I love this commercial that Nike created:

This commercial gives kids hope to not necessarily succeed at being the best player to play the sport, but instead to focus on being the best they can be wherever their lives take them. Nike uses this commercial to give kids, and even adults, the idea that they do not have to be famous, popular, or the best to succeed in sports or even life. This idea that kids can be athletically successful also motivates them to continue to get involved in athletics in their schools, towns, and communities. 

When kids get involved in sports, what do they do? Well, they most definitely buy sports gear so that they can play the game! 

Where do they go to buy sports gear? They go to Nike! Because Nike is the trustworthy sports corporation that has given them hope that they can be who they want to be to be successful in the world.

Nike boosts these kids up, sparking them to play the game, to go after their dreams, to be the best they can be…and to use its products, because if Nike believes kids can play the game, then certainly its products will help them succeed at the game. It is the truth, now isn’t it?

It is interesting to see the vast amount of ways that the advertising world manipulates the general public. Now, I do not think Nike is necessarily manipulative in a bad way. I believe that Nike supports and believes the statements that it made in its commercial about kids not needing to amount to anything more than who they are. I don’t think Nike would use something in advertising that it didn’t support or believe in. However, the plus that comes with the advertisement is the monetary benefit and publicity that comes with it. In a way, the general public falls captive to the traps that the Nike, and the rest of the advertising world, sets for us. They play on our raw emotions, our desires, our dreams, and our hopes in life, all of which are important. The advertisers know this and play upon it, but we also allow them to do so. 

This is not necessarily a bad thing; it can be, but it doesn’t have to be, as long as we have the knowledge and are not completely clueless as to allow advertisers to manipulate us. In my opinion, Nike presents an appropriate, positive, and influential means of advertising because not only does it succeed in advertising its products, but it also adheres to a younger generation that is in need of hope, guidance, and encouragement. Nike uses its popularity and fame to effectively and positively influence the public. Our world would be a better place if all advertisers focused on the influencing the community for the better through their advertisements.

An Honors Student Grocery Run

            So many stores use tactics like “buy-one-get-one-free” sales and loyalty cards in order to get us to buy and spend more. Most consumers think they’re getting a better deal, but are actually spending more in the long run. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 4:2, “Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.” These stores are deceiving their unassuming customers into spending more money, making them think it’s actually a better deal. We as Christians shouldn’t use deception to get ourselves higher up on the ladder of success. We should be honest and present the truth to everyone.

This past Friday, I went to Kroger’s with a friend to buy groceries. Not terribly exciting, right? I had just finished reading the chapter in Martin Lindstrom’s book Brandwashed about data mining (yes, I know I was supposed to read it for Thursday, but sometimes life happens and we don’t do our Honors homework), and was still thinking about all the things he wrote in the chapter. So a seemingly normal trip to the grocery store turned into an Honors blog post. Everything I saw in the store, advertising and marketing wise, I instantly connected to what we were talking about in Honors class the day before. I went into the store with a specific list that I was determined not to veer from (I found out that I’m what Lindstrom would call a “No-Nonsense Shopper”), but my friend didn’t have any idea of what she was going to buy before she went in. I thought to myself, “This would make for a really interesting case study for Honors!” because we had two totally different approaches going into the store. She was going to just grab what looked good and I was set on getting only what was on my list.

            We started off in the produce section because bananas were at the top of my list. My friend decided that she wanted bananas too, so we both grabbed a bunch. Then we wandered over to the dairy section because she needed cheese and I needed milk. On the way we passed the lunch meat displays and saw some “All Natural” bacon on sale for 2/$6. My friend grabbed two packages and said, “It’s two for $6 – who can resist?” 

All I could think of was the part in the book that talked about how superstores use this technique to make you think you’re getting a better deal when you’re actually paying more. Moving farther down the main aisle, we passed an end display with Doritos on it. I had tortilla chips on my list, so I stopped to see if there were any “Hint of Lime” Tostitos (my guilty-pleasure snack food, eerily the same exact snack that’s given as an example in Lindstrom’s book). But the only chips in the area were the Doritos on the end of the aisle. I had to go looking through most of the other aisles before I came across the chip aisle. I grabbed my tortilla chips and my friend grabbed a couple bags of chips as well.

Then we started back toward the dairy section for our cheese and milk, what we had originally been looking for before the chip aisle side trip. I grabbed a gallon of 2% Kroger brand milk (the only kind I really like, probably because it’s the only kind my mom buys at home) and my friend grabbed a half gallon of Kroger brand chocolate milk. I saw a couple rows of egg nog by the milk and decided to check them out just because drinking egg nog is one of the holiday traditions in my family (the store was trying to use the nostalgia marketing technique on me, but I didn’t succumb – I stayed strong and resisted the urge to buy a half gallon!). Just below the egg nog I saw something else that caught my eye. It was labeled as “Grade A, Vitamin A&D, Sweet Acidophilus Lowfat Milk”. I had never heard of that kind of milk, so I decided to compare the nutritional facts to those on my 2% milk. I found out that the only differences were the amount of fat and cholesterol in the nutritional facts, but in the list of ingredients the Sweet Acidophilus Lowfat Milk said “pasteurized homogenized lowfat milk, Vit. A palmitate, Vit. D3 and Lactobacillus Acidophilus (active culture)”. Here’s a picture if you don’t believe me:

I’m still not quite sure what to make of this milk. I have no idea why it’s so special, besides having a special kind of bacteria in it. I’m also not sure what this really has to do with marketing techniques, but I thought it was really strange so I decided to include it in my blog.

            My friend and I had to make our way back to the front of the store to check out and in order to get there we had to go back through the ice cream aisle (okay, so we didn’t really have to go down that specific aisle, but we did anyways). There were four different varieties of Oreo brand ice cream! 

I spotted some pumpkin ice cream on sale and just couldn’t resist (I keep ice cream on my shopping list just in case I find a good deal and want to justify me buying it since I’m a “No-Nonsense Shopper” and don’t like to get anything not on my list).
          We finally made it back to the front of the store and to the checkout line, an hour after we walked in. As we approached the cashier, he asked if we had a Kroger’s Plus membership card. My friend didn’t, but my mom has one so I used her account for both of our orders. To get the savings and points on the Kroger’s Plus Card you have to give the cashier either a card or the phone number that goes along with the account. I couldn’t help but wonder if my mom will be getting coupons for chocolate milk, bacon, “Hint of Lime” Tostitos, and pumpkin ice cream in the near future.

Living the brand

We are living the brand. We have prayed, thought, walked, and poured ourselves into it. We strive through it every single day. It’s embodied in us and it’s what brings others back. We are living in hope, promise, and future. We are part of the sweeping brand movement of Olivet Nazarene University.

We have t-shirts, sweatshirts and sweatpants, active-wear, lanyards, water bottles, planners, folders, and bumper stickers. We have football, basketball, soccer, swimming, volleyball, and numerous other sports teams and their paraphernalia. We have pictures, the occasional newspaper clipping, tagged photos on facebook, memories, changed lives, a promise for a prospering life from God. (“ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11.)

Why do you think alumni come back with such regularity? Nostalgia is a big part, yes, but the hope that they felt in this place—the hope that God has done and is still doing something amazing in their lives—draws like a magnet. They want to be reminded by this place that God is advancing His kingdom forward with their lives and our own.

Think about it. College is the embodiment of hope (no duh, I know)—hope for the future: hope in a degree, a job, a spouse, a dream. We are the future leaders of our fields, companies, nation, and world. We are being molded to become God’s vessels in the world, wherever He leads us. In all honesty, it’s overwhelming, daunting, and uncomfortable. We’re being refined by trials and learning perseverance in order to “be mature and complete, not lacking anything (James 1:4)” and to bring God glory.

1 Peter 1:7 states that “These have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” And also Zechariah 13:9 “And I will put this third into the fire, and refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested. They will call upon my name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They are my people’; and they will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’”

There’s hope in the change though. Olivet’s atmosphere has been a catalyst for me and my spiritual growth, always reminding me of what’s on the other side of the change, perseverance, and pain—healing.

While the future, the change, and the perseverance may be daunting, the opposite side of the coin is true as well; it’s exciting! God is making something of our lives. We are finally on our way to becoming adults so we can make something of ourselves (and not be prodigies to do so)!

The ultimate mark of this (and of the Olivet brand) is the diploma—the single piece of paper that we’ve been waiting our whole lives to receive. It forever proclaims that we are part of Olivet and the hope, both sacred and secular, that it represents. So while it may be a brand, it is one that I am proud to claim as my own. I’m living in hope. How about you?

Privacy: How much?

What causes privacy?  Is it the theft committed using personal information?  Is it advertising agencies constantly sending information in the mail or filling ad space on the internet that might pertain to you?  Is it people that you know, learning about an experience of yours and sharing it with others?  I think, generally, it’s the fear of what others might do with the information that they have about you.

I had an experience with privacy earlier this summer.  A few of my friends had a Google plus account so they could video call each other and they told me to get one too.  I got onto the site and began to fill out the steps.  I finished everything and was ready for the screen to show that would typically say, “The confirmation for your password has been sent to your email.”  However, this time it was different.  This time it asked for my phone number so that they could call or text me the confirmation.  Needless to say, I didn’t get a Google plus account that day.  Unfortunately, I had to cave and give up my number when joining this blog, but I kept the number which sent me the confirmation in my phone just in case. 

Why did I do all of this?  I don’t really know.  If Google now has my phone number, then everybody in the world has it and I think that is what worried me.  I didn’t want to be known by the world.  I didn’t want to be contacted by everybody who is out there.  I didn’t want everyone to be able to access me and who I am.  Is this reaction rational? 

How are we to look at privacy as Christians?  After I realized the actual fear behind my reluctance to release my information, I realized how contradictory it is to how we are to live as Christians.  I was worried that people might know who I was or that they might be able to contact me.  Although the probability of that happening is low, it is the fact that I was thinking these things that makes me wonder if we take privacy too far.

The Bible addresses privacy in a few different ways.  First, there is the side of humility and acting or giving for the Lord in secret so that it is solely for the Lord and not done so that others may see to receive self-glorification.  This aspect is done out of humility and worship for the Lord, not loving and desiring praise for one’s self before God.  The other side is complete transparency for the glory of God.  It demands confession and exposure so that the work of God in one’s life may be a witness to others.  John chapter three, verses 20-21 says, “Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.  But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.”

I think it’s important to understand our intentions and our actual fears when we are addressing our own privacy.  Our pursuit should be to love the Lord.  Everything will flow after that.  It might be easy to dismiss decisions as unimportant, but everything can be used to glorify God.  Whether we’re acting out of humility so that He receives the glory, or whether we are exposing everything so that it may be seen what He has done, all that matters is that He is the one that receives the praise.

The Allure of Chanel

Honestly, if I could ever splurge on anything, it’d probably be on a Chanel handbag. They’re classy and elegant, and they are considered to be a “staple” in any woman’s wardrobe.

There are several reasons why many others like me may find the brand Chanel appealing. Firstly, there is the infamous logo, printed on every single product, whether it is shoes, makeup, perfume, or even clothing.The logo is two “C”'s mirrored off of each other with one "C" facing left and the other right, and the colors of the logo are black and white. Black and white are two of the simplest colors that exist in the fashion world and even in the whole world in general– take, for example, classic black-and-white movies. Chanel was founded in 1909, making it more than 100 years old and is still popular today. It is no longer just a company that sells materialistic items, but also a brand that is a symbol of the past. This idea of nostalgia takes over, and although Chanel was not a brand catered to us when we were young, its age has selling power in the fashion industry. I may be biased, but many would agree that Chanel has class, simplicity, and elegance to it that makes it appealing because of its timelessness. Even celebrities are attracted to the brand! I’ve seen countless images of celebrities carrying their Chanel handbags in their normal, everyday lives; that, in a sense, creates the sense that Chanel is approved by an upper class – the higher class that the royalty of our nation is in. Chanel has taken it to the next level with their advertisements and the use of celebrities as well. They have used celebrities like Brad Pitt and Keira Knightly to advertise their fragrances.

Why do companies turn to celebrities for the use of advertising or turn to timeless appeal for the use of selling their products? Both nostalgia and celebrities, in one way or another, are interesting to us. Humans have a drive to do better, or rather to be better, so the endorsement of celebrities give us an ideal standard to which we should abide by. Celebrities are fascinating to us because they are the epitome of what we want to look like and how we generally want to be. If we want to be more like them, we should want the same things that they want and buy the same things that they buy – this is the logic behind celebrities in advertising. The tricky thing about Chanel and brands like Chanel – Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, Burberry – is that they have high value. They are known for having high prices. That in it of itself gives the purchasers who buy those brands a certain status; that alone is what makes the brand of Chanel so popular. It doesn’t help that the brand’s logo is plastered on all of its products, which helps the purchaser declare to the world that they own Chanel items. As humans, we all want to be noticed and seen and recognized, and we want to be seen in a pristine way that portrays us in a good light.

The timeless factor is not something we should look for in materialistic items, though. As “timeless” as Chanel may appear, it does not compare to the timelessness of God. He is, was, and always will be there. 2 Corinthians 4:18 has a good reminder for us: “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” This is all temporary! Our life has more to it than what products label to be classic, show as celebrity-approved, or portray as nostalgic. The fact is that there is more to life than our own; looking to our past and having great memories is a blessing from God, but we must not forget the history that happened 2,000 years ago with the life and gospel message of Jesus. Not only that, but His story of His life, death, and resurrection points to the eternal, which is what Paul is encouraging us to focus on in 2 Corinthians 4 – the eternal life in Christ that no Chanel perfume or handbag could ever promise. Furthermore, these celebrities who humans idolize and hold as high and mighty have nothing on God! God is the one we should be lifting up and praising, not celebrities or the products that they advertise. Humans seeking to find comfort in nostalgia should look to Christ for comfort, and humans seeking to find status in nostalgia should look to Christ for the ultimate status of knowing being loved by the Famous One.

Every subculture has their own celebrities that they try to emulate and I don’t think that will ever change. It’s a natural part of the human experience to want to be like the people that are lifted up in our society, I don’t think that’s something we can change, so what we need to change is the people that we lift up as celebrities. I think our desire to claim someone as a celebrity goes back to that part of the human experience that is worship. We were created to worship a perfect holy God, it’s simply hardwired into our DNA. And I think that some of that crosses over, whether that’s right or wrong, into our views of other people and to an extent celebrity culture is inevitable. The use of celebrity in advertising is unavoidable. As long as we have advertising, companies will try to exploit our feelings toward celebrities to push whatever product or idea they’re selling. Knowing that, what option do we have as Christians but to embrace this inevitability and use it to our advantage? While the use of celebrities in advertising is something that we aren’t going to be able to get around, it’s not always a bad thing. Celebrities can be used as good role models for people across the country, especially young people who want someone to look up to. The following ad is from a group called Focus on the Family, a global Christian ministry that provides help and resources for couples to build healthy marriages and for parents to raise their children according to biblical principles.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqReTDJSdhE

The ad starts with a woman displaying a picture of a baby boy holding a football. She starts by saying “I call him my miracle baby, he almost didn’t make it into this world.” The woman in the ad is Pam Tebow, mother of Heisman winning quarterback and outspoken Christian Tim Tebow. Tebow is probably the most famous Christian athlete in the world right now and arguably the most famous athlete period in the United States. He is the epitome of celebrity. Tim Tebow did not choose to be a celebrity, but it’s something we as a culture, especially as a sports culture, have made him into. But there are worse things in the world than having a celebrity who endorses a company that claims as its belief, “Ultimately, we believe that the purpose of life is to know and glorify God through an authentic relationship with His Son, Jesus Christ.” Tim Tebow is a Christian celebrity that uses his celebrity status to point people toward the only one truly worthy of their worship, Jesus Christ. In this way celebrity and celebrity advertising can have a positive effect. While nobody will likely have a transformative experience where they accept Christ as their Lord and savior because they hear that Tim Tebow is a Christian, they might be directed to a place where they can have that transformative experience.