The Ad of the Week: "I am a Mormon" (LDS Public Relations Department , USA)
Bountiful, Utah
June,20, 2011
I am
It seems that everybody is talking about Mormons nowadays. The Mormon-buzz could be attributed to three different (completely different) reasons:
First, The Book of Mormon The Musical; second, the two Mormon-candidates for the 2012 US presidency and last but not least, the "I am a Mormon" Ad campaign. The latter is what I'm mostly will talk about, because it is our Ad Of The Week!
The following is just a preview of all the videos that goes around YouTube:
Not being slow and noticing the In-every-bodies-mouth's time the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is having in the Big Apple, the LDS Church Public Relations hurried to launch this campaign in New York.
This is just part of a huge ad campaign that includes ads on television, radio, billboards, bus platforms and in the interior of transit vehicles that feature everyday Mormons talking about their regular lives and their faith.
The LDS Internet
The profiles reach an international audience through an award wining website mormon.org and via digital and social media, Internet ads, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
I pesonally LOVE the new design of all the LDS Church websites... they are all related in design and yet they are different. (I might talk about the website in another post)
The ads are catchy. Upbeat music plays as the surfer, the artist or the skateboarder states his or her beliefs about life.
"The ends justify the means"
creators of well known potty mouth TV Show, South Park, Parker and Stone tell the story of two 19-year-old Salt Lake City boys sent to Uganda as missionaries.
It’s a coming-of-stage story dripping in dirty jokes, with irreverent, offensive showstoppers such as a “Hakuna Matata”–esque number with the chorus “F-- You, God.”*
Even by that musical’s foul-mouthed standards, The Book of Mormon may be the most obscene show ever brought to a Broadway stage.
All offenses though (intended or not) are sort/kind of-- relying in consequentialism.* This view is often expressed as the aphorism "The ends justify the means"
According to many reviews, if we overlook the religious mocking and sacrilegious-ness of the play, and we take as it was intended: A satirical production for the sake of laughter, an "uplifting" message may make the musical OK...
“We may laugh at [Mormons’] silly beliefs,” Stone, one of the creator of the musical, says, “but at the end of the day, we really liked them. We wanted it to be a feel-good musical. And one that inspires people as well.”
Parker and Stone assured they visited Salt Lake City, in Utah, for research. They said they talked to a lot of people, and visited a lot of places. (Perhaps that when they came out with Sal Tlay Ka Siti, which I think is awesome.)
All and all, "The Book of Mormon" musical boosted missionary efforts. "When my mission president announced the campaign last week there were actual cheers by the missionaries," said Elder Aldridge, an LDS missionary in New York City.
"We go to one neighborhood and people recognize us more and say, 'There's the missionary poster guy! Didn't they make a musical about you?'" added his companion, Elder Kinikini.
Oh, and by the way, I am an Argentine, I love Advertising, Graphic Design and Photography... I love new york, and I'm a Mormon.
*Consequentialism refers to those moral theories which hold that the consequences of one's conduct are the true basis for any judgement about the morality of that conduct. Thus, from a consequentialist standpoint, a morally right act (or omission) is one that will produce a good outcome, or consequence.
Sources:
http://newsroom.lds.org/article/mormon-ads-new-york-city
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700059008/Mormon-ad-campaign-draws-attention-in-9-US-markets.html
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700144191/Im-a-Mormon-campaign-expands-to-NY.html
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/03/06/south-park-musical-book-of-mormon-is-magical.html
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10234/1081801-455.stm#ixzz1PmVBjgLY
June,20, 2011
I am
It seems that everybody is talking about Mormons nowadays. The Mormon-buzz could be attributed to three different (completely different) reasons:
First, The Book of Mormon The Musical; second, the two Mormon-candidates for the 2012 US presidency and last but not least, the "I am a Mormon" Ad campaign. The latter is what I'm mostly will talk about, because it is our Ad Of The Week!
The following is just a preview of all the videos that goes around YouTube:
(To watch the original 2 min. video scroll to the end.)
New york, New YorkNot being slow and noticing the In-every-bodies-mouth's time the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is having in the Big Apple, the LDS Church Public Relations hurried to launch this campaign in New York.
The video Ad posted here is New Yorkers will be seeing in a huge billboard and in taxis everywhere as part of this clever campaign that already took place in 9 other cities in the US.
This is just part of a huge ad campaign that includes ads on television, radio, billboards, bus platforms and in the interior of transit vehicles that feature everyday Mormons talking about their regular lives and their faith.
The LDS Internet
The profiles reach an international audience through an award wining website mormon.org and via digital and social media, Internet ads, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
I pesonally LOVE the new design of all the LDS Church websites... they are all related in design and yet they are different. (I might talk about the website in another post)
(As part of the campaign, church members are invited to share their profiles on the mormon.org website.)
The ads are catchy. Upbeat music plays as the surfer, the artist or the skateboarder states his or her beliefs about life.
They all end with, "And I'm a Mormon."
Stereotypes
The effort seeks to break through the stereotypes of what people think they know about Mormons.That message seems to resonate with those seeking to better understand Mormons.
"The ends justify the means"
creators of well known potty mouth TV Show, South Park, Parker and Stone tell the story of two 19-year-old Salt Lake City boys sent to Uganda as missionaries.
It’s a coming-of-stage story dripping in dirty jokes, with irreverent, offensive showstoppers such as a “Hakuna Matata”–esque number with the chorus “F-- You, God.”*Even by that musical’s foul-mouthed standards, The Book of Mormon may be the most obscene show ever brought to a Broadway stage.
All offenses though (intended or not) are sort/kind of-- relying in consequentialism.* This view is often expressed as the aphorism "The ends justify the means"
According to many reviews, if we overlook the religious mocking and sacrilegious-ness of the play, and we take as it was intended: A satirical production for the sake of laughter, an "uplifting" message may make the musical OK...
What's the moral of the Story? Religion is a made up thing to make people feel better about themselves. So if you believe, feel stupid about yourself, but if you don't, laugh...laugh hard.
“We may laugh at [Mormons’] silly beliefs,” Stone, one of the creator of the musical, says, “but at the end of the day, we really liked them. We wanted it to be a feel-good musical. And one that inspires people as well.”
Parker and Stone assured they visited Salt Lake City, in Utah, for research. They said they talked to a lot of people, and visited a lot of places. (Perhaps that when they came out with Sal Tlay Ka Siti, which I think is awesome.)
All and all, "The Book of Mormon" musical boosted missionary efforts. "When my mission president announced the campaign last week there were actual cheers by the missionaries," said Elder Aldridge, an LDS missionary in New York City.
"We go to one neighborhood and people recognize us more and say, 'There's the missionary poster guy! Didn't they make a musical about you?'" added his companion, Elder Kinikini.
The elders also reported that missionaries are seeing the first signs of the campaign. One of their colleagues saw an "I'm a Mormon" ad on top of a cab just yesterday.
"The 'I'm a Mormon' campaign was tested in nine U.S. markets last year and is being expanded to additional areas," LDS Church spokesperson Scott Trotter said. "We included New York City in this round because of conversations about the church happening there."
Presumably these conversations involve both "The Book of Mormon" musical and the media flurry around the two Mormons seeking the Republican presidential nomination, Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman Jr.
Here is one of the many many videos of the campaign...Oh, and by the way, I am an Argentine, I love Advertising, Graphic Design and Photography... I love new york, and I'm a Mormon.
*Consequentialism refers to those moral theories which hold that the consequences of one's conduct are the true basis for any judgement about the morality of that conduct. Thus, from a consequentialist standpoint, a morally right act (or omission) is one that will produce a good outcome, or consequence.
Sources:
http://newsroom.lds.org/article/mormon-ads-new-york-city
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700059008/Mormon-ad-campaign-draws-attention-in-9-US-markets.html
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700144191/Im-a-Mormon-campaign-expands-to-NY.html
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/03/06/south-park-musical-book-of-mormon-is-magical.html
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10234/1081801-455.stm#ixzz1PmVBjgLY
