Actually, to slightly misquote Carl Sagan, if you want to make instant coffee from scratch, you must first create the universe, and then you have to make a pot of coffee, and then you have to dry it out and add a bunch of chemicals in the process. And then you put it in a tin. And then you add water. So it’s not really instant at all. It’s only instant if you assume that the coffee process is all about having other people do the work for you. But despite this slightly more passionate than normal introduction, Instant coffee isn’t something I spend a lot of time thinking about (except when I suggest that it’s a sin). Why you’d want to drink the rehydrated dregs of old coffee is beyond me. But if it’s your cup of tea, then this instant coffee/straw/stirrer combo is probably right up your alley.
a) a really cool film clip concept.
b) the world’s biggest water fight.
c) a cool idea for an event for a church/university group to run.
d) a catchy, happy song.
e) all of the above.
Charlie Bit Me is one of those classic bits of parental exploitation on YouTube, the kid should join some sort of internet celebrity support group with David After Dentist.
Years ago my friend Phil and I produced a range of parody Christian book covers, including, but not limited to, the Porpoise Driven Life. Here’s a TV commercial. Not made by us. But brilliant.
The Gruen Transfer last night (or tonight if you caught it on ABC 2) had a segment on how religion uses advertising.
They looked at the Jesus: All About Life TV ad from last year.
Todd Samson reckons the Jesus is cool, the church is bad thing was based on sound research – but that the church is let down by the “retail experience” which is church. He reckons Hillsong has done this well.
Russel Howcroft said the ads worked, and numbers increased.
One of the other panelists made a point that preaching to the converted is a valid and necessary function of advertising.
The next ad was a Scientology spot. “Know yourself, know life” – it was, in the words of one of the panelists “pure motivational speech,” and it didn’t feature any ugly people.
Todd says religions have traditionally been about community. And the scientology ad tries to capture that.
The next spot was a Scientology ad featuring Tom Cruise – for people within the cult. Russel calls Tom Cruise a total “brain smashing” advantage for the converted Scientology people. He says “aspiration is so important in branding” and celebrity endorsements are a key part of that. Todd says it’s “influencing the influencers.”
The Mormons had a really weird ad that tapped into familial guilt. A little girl asks her mum to go rollerskating with her, she says no, the precocious kid reminds her that she’ll grow up to be a disconnected teenager. One of the Gruen panellists said the whole thing looked plastic, was horribly out of touch, and that it was pretty awful.
Then my favourite. Answers in Genesis. With the kid in a singlet with a pistol. Wil Anderson quips “Are you feeling Godly Punk?” – “will scaring people into religion help?” Todd quips “I thought that’s what Hell was for.”
Todd says religious advertising is run most often in tough times. Todd has an impressive grasp of the argument Answers in Genesis is making about evolution and morality. He calls it an awful piece of communication. They are preaching to the converted. Fear is good at keeping people in, but not attracting people in.
If you missed the episode check out this advert for Australian Christian television:
A few weeks ago I got the chance to be the Prodigal Son and play with my inheritance now. I don’t know if other families are familiar with the sticker concept – you get a coloured dot each and run around divvying up your living relative’s property. But it’s the only way these things should be done. Even when your parents are only in their fifties. Anyway. I got in early and claimed the rights to this bad boy. Mum and dad’s antique (almost) Atomic Coffee Maker. These babies retail for hundreds of dollars these days on account of being incredibly aesthetically pleasing.
I made this video of the experience – the actual process took well over six minutes. I edited this down (and sped up some bits).
