Tea with a Xing

I was reading Brandwashed and laughing at the ridiculous claims that I was reading. The acai berry cures everything, really? HA! I wouldn't fall for something as dumb as that. All those ridiculous homeopathic remedies, pfffft. There's no way I would fall for that. Who really buys stuff because it has the Himalayas on it. Crazy talk. Those were my thoughts while I was reading. Then I decided to take a break. I reached into my refrigerator and pulled out one of these:

That's when I realized that they got to me too. This is Xing Tea. It's one of my favorite beverages. It comes in 14 different flavors. Its a local Colorado thing, so its really hard (read: impossible) to find in Illinois, so my parents ship it to me in their care packages.

(This is the contents of one of the aforementioned care packages. If you click on this picture and like the picture on facebook, I might win a whole case and $100)

Anyway, the tea claims that it is made with pure cain sugar, and all natural ingredients. And aparently that means nothing. I was basing a lot on those claims. I like Xing better than Arizona because it uses pure cain sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup. Its even got the fruit hanging from a vine and the Chinese characters.

On their website, they have a section about health, and how green tea is healthy. It says:

Well, millions of people drinking it worldwide can’t be wrong! But yes, green tea is good for you. Green tea contains polyphenols, including epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG). These powerful antioxidants have been shown to have many positive health effects.

Those are a lot of words that I don't really understand. But it makes it sound legit. But this chapter made me wonder if Xing is actually better than Arizona health wise at all.

Xing also claims:

• No Preservatives: By canning XINGtea hot, we can keep Mother Nature in!
• No Funny Stuff: You can pronounce and recognize every ingredient in every serving of XINGtea.
• All-Natural Sweeteners: If it takes a chemistry lab to make it, we don’t want to taste it. We exclusively use pure cane sugar and honey to add that little hint of sweet to XINGtea.
• Easy on the Calories: Green tea is naturally calorie-free. Our Just Plain Tea! Unsweetened Tea is calorie-free and our fruit-flavored varieties are only 60 calories per serving.
• Caffeine Content: Green Tea Energy 150 to 155 mgs, Unsweetened Tea-Just Plain Tea 70 to 75 mgs, all other flavors-Ginseng, Mango, Pomegranate, ½ & ½, Blueberry, Peach, Cherry, Raspberry, Lemon, Sweet Tea,& Mint… 30 to 35 mgs.
• Lactose & Gluten-free: Problems with gluten? Lactose intolerant? No worries! All of our delicious flavors are free of both gluten and lactose. Enjoy!

 This just makes me feel like a hippie. I'm wondering why an iced tea would have lactose or gluten in it, but if it helps them sell, I guess that works for them.

I guess this is really an ok thing. As Christians we do believe that our bodies are temples for the Lord and it is biblical to take care of ourselves. This aspect of advertising seems as if it is playing on our basic instinct to want to take care of ourselves. They got me, but I'm not sure if that is a bad thing.

 

Who is Watching Me?

            A few days ago, I was watching a television show on the internet, and an advertisement that caught my attention played before the video loaded. Usually, I tend to ignore the commercials that play while a video is loading, but this one intrigued me. The advertisement, a commercial for Lowe’s MyLowe’s program, depicted a scenario in which children had painted on a wall. The commercial claimed that MyLowe’s would tell you the exact color of the paint previously used on the wall. By signing up for the program, MyLowe’s  can provide you with information on the color of paint you previously used on your wall by tracking your purchase history, and allowing you to view it at any time.

            As I watched this commercial, several advertising techniques stood out to me. Fear was used, in the idea that you might not be able to remember the correct paint color to use if you ever need to repaint a section of wall. Peer pressure was also used when other people were shown acknowledging that MyLowe’s is a useful tool to have. However, the advertising method which stood out most clearly to me was the use of data mining portrayed in the commercial.

            At first, the possibility of being able to keep track of your previous purchases seems like a good idea, and there are many benefits to the program. However, there is also the potential for this information to be abused by others. For example, if someone were able to hack into the database, he would not only have access to your purchase history, but also to your first and last name, your email address, and your zip code, all required in order to sign up (https://www.lowes.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/MyLowesLanding?storeId=10151&langId=-1&catalogId=10051&krypto=w37ixU9mxd7iv8LlRPTKAA%3D%3D) . This would not only allow a potential thief to easily locate your address, but also, by looking at your purchase history, one would be able to determine the items you own and your approximate income.

            The idea of the MyLowe’s program shows how our culture is focused on convenience. By having all of our information gathered into one place, we are able to have access to it quickly, and whenever we need it. When things like this don’t work, we tend to become frustrated. We want to have a way to keep track of all the details of our lives, so that we don’t have to remember all of the small details. At the same time however, we are afraid of revealing too much information, and of who might have access to our information. We don’t like the feeling of being “watched,” but at the same time, our lives are so busy that it is difficult for us to remember everything without some form of assistance.

            At first glance, the Bible may not have much to say about data mining, but it does speak about having someone watch over us. Psalm 121:5-8 tells us, “The Lord watches over you-the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm-he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. (NIV)” As Christians, we still have to remember the details, but unlike the rest of the world, we don’t have to wonder who might be watching us. Instead we have the promise that the Lord will watch over us and protect us.

Ahhh They Got Me!!!

      So, today I went on my monthly trip to the store (which coincidentally has nothing to do with Amy's shopping trip). I only get to go once a month because I don't have a car and I hate to ask for a ride, so I go on rare occasions when I REALLY need something and have a huge list of items that I need. This time I was in desperate need of toothpaste (like to the point that I was using my roommate's toothpaste because I was determined to hold out on going to the store as long as possible).

     As my friends and I were walking around at the store, I noticed that every time I walked by the $5 movie bucket I would find myself frantically skimming the top layer of movies for something interesting (which I always manage to find). If I can't find anything that I like by the time I pass by, I don't get anything. However once I find the first movie, the thought of all of these awesome dvd's for $5 gets to me, and I attack. This causes my original $60 store bill to jump up to about $85 simply because I can't resist the deals (you see now why I don't go to the store often).

     Like Amy said in her blog post, this is a conniving trick to get people like me to buy more than they would have to begin with (I am definitely NOT a no-nonsense shopper). However, the bible says "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." 1 Corinthians 10:13. While the shop does a good job of marketing to us and tempting us with its deals, we need to use self-control to avoid situations like the ones that I put myself in.  But I digress from my main point.

    So I was in desperate need of toothpaste, and not just any toothpaste, Colgate whitening toothpaste with an extra stripe of cinnamon flavoring.
Approximately $2.50

 We finally made it to the toothpaste aisle after my friends dragged me away from the $5 movie bucket and I stared at the aisle for probably a good six or seven minutes. My beloved toothpaste brand was no where to be found! My friend Anna, seeing my dilemma, tried to help me:

Anna: The cheapest brand is AIM!

Me: AIM? I've never heard of that.

Anna: Oh, it works pretty good and its inexpensive.

Approximately $0.85

Me: Oh okay... (continues to look around)

Anna: What are you looking for?

Me: I really want something that whitens your teeth.

Anna: Oh, you can use peroxide for that!

Me: Peroxide??? As in, Hydrogen Peroxide? H2O2? The stuff you put on cuts?

Anna: Yeah! I saw it on Pinterest; you just use a cue-tip and rub it on your teeth! and its super cheap!

Me: Ooh Thats a good idea! (Proceeds to grab the Colgate "Whitens with Peroxide and Baking Soda" toothpaste) 
Approximately $2.00


............ *facepalm*................ They Got Me...

Hope Halfway to Nigeria

No one does hope in advertising better than our college’s cafeteria catering company: Sodexho. They advertise food that sounds delicious, exotic even. Cilantro chicken with creamy mashed potatoes. Stir fry with every possible veggie you could imagine.

But after I wait in that line lasting halfway to Nigeria, I finally get up to the counter and one of two things happens. They are either out of what I want, or, while they advertised corn, they’re actually serving carrots (ick).

It happens all the time. But see, hope is a funny thing. I see the sign telling me what today’s meal is and I think, “Maybe, maybe today lunch will be good.” Hope pervades for about 30 seconds until I found out we are having catfish mush instead of the promised chicken.

No matter how many times I’m disappointed, hope returns. It’s a powerful thing. Hope may possibly be even stronger than fear. Fear can paralyze when desperation kicks in. It only takes a drop of hope to kill despair and motivate again.

The problem with hope in advertising is that the companies really don’t have to fulfill whatever they have promised. Hope is not a promise—it’s the chance at something good. Hope isn’t a sure thing, but it doesn’t have to be. It’s simply the desire, the anticipation of something better.

In order to look at hope in advertising, I decided to look at the expert of advertising: Super Bowl commercials. My first commercial is a Chrysler commercial featuring Clint Eastwood. The ad focuses on the way America has returned from the recession, specifically emphasizing Detroit and the car industry. The ad is full of praise for American hard work, character, and determination. The message is, we have gotten through this recession, we can get through everything. Depend on America. Depend on Chrysler.

The second commercial takes a more humorous view on hope. In this commercial, a man is seen driving through a post-apocalyptic city in a Chevy. He reaches his group of friends, only to find out Dave died because Dave drove a Ford. The message of this commercial: The zombie apocalypse is coming… but have no fear. With a Chevy, you will be prepared for anything.

Hope makes us feel good. It lifts up our spirits and makes us believe again. But why is hope so powerful?

Ironically, one of the places hope is most deeply explored in the Bible is the book of Job. Job struggles for hope in the midst of devastation.

“What strength do I have, that I should still hope? What prospects, that I should be patient?” (Job 6:11, NIV).

There seems to be no hope in Job’s situation. Check that, there is no hope in Job’s situation. But Job’s hope is not found in his situation; rather it is found in his understanding of the character of God.

It seems simple, hope in God. Yet when we say hope in God, do we really understand what we are saying? We seek God to work in our situation, yes. We seek God’s hope in our situation, yes. But what happens when there is no hope in the situation. Like a death—that person will not be raised from the dead and no matter how many other friends or family members you have, that loved one cannot be replaced.

There are circumstances in which hope cannot be found. What do you do with child prostitution? Or suicide? Genocide and child hunger? The pain and scarring from such atrocities cannot be made right by a simple replacement of past pain with the anticipation of something good in the future. There are too many questions, too much history, too much destruction that can never be made right in the situation at hand. There is no hope.

“Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him” (Job 13:15, NIV).

That is why hoping in God is such a radical idea. Rather than hoping that a situation will become so much better, you are hoping in truth. You are hoping in the very character of God. He is sovereign. He is good. Therefore, my hope is in him.

What does hoping in advertising say about us as humans? That in our desperation we search for something bigger than our current lives. Whether that is a future zombie apocalypse or the recession.

Why does hope strike such a human cord in all of us? Hope simply says, my situation may never get better. I may experience these scars for the rest of my life.  But there is Someone bigger and better than my situation out there, and that Someone has died to save me.

Name Brand Drugs: Why Tylenol is the Only Brand I Trust

It's funny how the drug market works. As I understand, when a company releases a new drug they have a certain amount of time in which they have a monopoly on that certain drug. (I think this time is somewhere between 12 and 20 years). During this time they have to make up all the money the spent in research and production as well as turn a bit of a profit. The fact is, much of the price in manufacturing drugs is the research and development, while production is actually quite cheap. So, once the patent runs out the name brand drug other companies are allowed to come in and produce generic products, during which time the name brand product drops in price. However, the name brand drug never drops down quite as low as all the generics do. So I wonder, how is it that these big companies like Tylenol are able to stay afloat if they're marketing Acetaminophen at more than twice the price as the same product offered by Equate? It's all about marketing, and the consumer's belief that their health isn't something to skimp on.

They might even be playing on nostalgia. Not explicitly, but Tylenol has been around for years. It's a name you can trust. So when you have back pain or a killer headache you could go and get the generic stuff, but are you sure they are really going to get the job done? After all, Tylenol has been at this for years while those generic companies have only been on the scene for a relatively short time. While Equate has yet to prove itself as something that can stick around, Tylenol has stood the test of time and has year in and year out been there for you, your family and every headache that has come your way.

That's the thing. It's just Tylenol. There is only one ingredient in there: Acetaminophen. It's not like Burger King trying to replicate the Big Mac but they can't find that secret ingredient, it's just taking everything that Tylenol has employed and offering it for a lot cheaper. Yet, that name goes a long way, and the comfort that people feel when they are purchasing the name brand medication goes a long way for drug companies like Tylenol.

So what about us? As Christians we have put our faith in the only one who is able to help us, who gives us comfort and protection. The best part: we don't have to pay anything for Him. Christ paid the price already. All we have to do is accept the gift. Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." We don't have to shop around for those generic Gods that we think will do the job. (Spoiler!!! They don't). We have the one and only God here for us and all we have to do is say, "yes."

They Know Me Too Well

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Have you ever noticed how truly creepy Facebook is? Apart from the fact that people virtually anywhere can stalk you, Facebook now seems to be advertising my page with things that are surprisingly very relevant to me. This past week I have been keeping track of advertisements that have been applicable to me on Facebook, and it seems as if they have found some way to keep track of the websites I visit outside of Facebook! Creepy.

 

             Since I thought this was so creepy, I took pictures of the advertisements to show in this blog. Let me give you some examples. First of all, about two weeks ago I purchased fall boots online. Now, the sidebars of my Facebook page (and even other websites I go to for homework help) are flooded with advertisements about buying new boots. Next, (as much as I am embarrassed to admit this) I look at engagement rings every once in a while to see what I like. About a week after visiting the Kay Jeweler website, advertisements about selecting an engagement ring appear. Finally, this last instance seems most creepy to me. As some may remember, my first blog entry was about my obsession with Nikes. Also, I love SpongeBob SquarePants, and I even dressed up as him for the Ollies Follies Variety Show. Facebook is now popping up ads on a weekly basis for me to buy SpongeBob Nikes! How do they know all of this about me?! How are they getting this information?

  

      

             I decided to do a little research to figure out what the heck was going on. I went to check out Facebook’s privacy settings, specifically the section about how they use my information to advertise. Here’s the first thing that I found:

 

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=2558730081077&set=vb.20531316728&type=3&permPage=1

            Upon digging a little further, I found that Facebook uses the pages I “like” and information I share on Facebook, such as my location and gender, to pick ads that are “right for me”. Also, Facebook personalizes ads for me by using information from third parties, such as the shoe store I purchased by boots from. This page even gives me tips about how to impact the ads I see by keeping the pages I “like” up to date or clicking on ads that I like to see more ads like it. If you want to check it out for yourself, here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/help/?page=209956322454409.

            Maybe I am just a tad old fashioned, but this is all so creepy to me! I am not okay with the way they join my information from my Facebook to information from other places to market to me. It is not so much that I don’t want to be marketed to; my main issue is that somehow multiple different companies are linking information of mine from multiple, unrelated places. Who else is doing this to me besides the marketing business? It is my fear that someone out there could unite all sorts of information from my Facebook, my shopping history, and my location to use against me in ways I could never protect myself against.

            Since the ideas of privacy and having certain personal rights are more modern principles, I have begun to wonder what the Bible says about it. Of course, there is the idea that our service to God should be done in secret so that the focus stays on God and doesn’t become about us (But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. -Matthew 6:3-4). Another biblical scenario that crosses my mind is when Moses went to the Holy of Holy’s to meet with God in private. The temple itself was a very private place and those who went in when they were not supposed to were even killed. There is even a commandment against stealing, specifically another’s private property. It is not outside the character of God to desire privacy and to keep certain aspects of Himself hidden.

But is this too extreme? Can the concept of lumping together private information to create advertisements be categorized as “stealing”? Since I did put my information on Facebook in the first place, does that mean it is okay for outside parties to use it as they wish? I don’t really know the answers to these questions, but maybe the best solution is that no matter what, we need to respect others and try not to harm them. After all, that is why God gave us the Ten Commandments in the first place, so that we could live harmoniously with each other while serving and pleasing Him.  So in a world where it is really hard to stay anonymous (especially to advertising companies), maybe the best policy is to respect others by not using information against them and respecting yourself by not dishing out person information like it’s candy, even on Facebook.

Choosy Moms Choose Jiff

My greatest fear in life is that I will be a failure as a mother. Now, do I really believe that I will fail in all aspects of motherhood? No. Do I believe I will make mistakes? Yes. As a result, like many other moms and future moms, I want to take extra precautions so I make the fewest number of mistakes possible. To calm the fears of worrying mothers, myself included, companies have come out with a variety of products and advertisements that promise success as a mother. This promise of success gives a mom hope that, not only will she be an outstanding and successful parent, but her child will also be outstanding and successful.

Take, for example, the Gerber Life "Grow-Up Plan". The web page makes promises like, "Give your child a powerful headstart!", "Security for today, Savings for tomorrow," and "Give your child an advantage for a lifetime." Each of these statements instills hope in a parent that participating in the "Grow-Up Plan" will provide protection for their child at a low price. It's a valuable investment in the child's future. And according to this commercial, it will actually help the child be successful once he's grown up.

In addition to the "Grow-Up Plan," Gerber also offers a "College Plan" for parents to invest in. Both of these opportunities can be extremely valuable to a child's future and parents are, no doubt, being responsible by thinking about their child's financial future. However, that doesn't change the fact that both of these plans appeal to the hope we have as parents (or future parents) for the success and well-being of our child.

Another company that uses hope to market to parents is Johnson's. Their trademark commercials place a heavy emphasis on the fact that smart moms who know what's best for their baby use (insert Johnson's product here). The Head-to-Toe wash commercial is especially moving as a wonderful mother bathes her adorable child.

While a child is still an infant, parents are especially worried about making mistakes. Babies are so impressionable and fragile. In this way, Johnson's plays both the hope card and the fear card to convince parents to buy their products. If you don't use Johnson's gentle formula to bathe your child, you may damage his/her delicate skin (fear). However, if you do use Johnson's to care for your baby, he/she will love you and appreciate you more, just like that baby in the commercial (hope).

A third appeal to our hope of being a successful parent is found in the tagline of everyone's favorite peanut butter: Jiff. Of course, everyone knows that "Choosy Moms Choose Jiff". This phrase encompasses the hope of a mother. A good mom makes good choices about her child's life. According to Jiff, Choosy Moms (the ones who make careful decisions) choose their brand of peanut butter. Therefore, if I buy Jiff peanut butter, I am both a Choosy Mom and one who makes good decisions. What more could a mother hope for?

Of course, there is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to be a good parent. Children are a gift from God and He expects parents to love and cherish them. In addition, God calls parents to raise their children in the ways of the Lord. "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6. Although the chances that we will never make mistakes as parents are very slim, with God's help and guidance (and perhaps a few parenting products) we have hope that we can provide our children with a bright and successful future.