Advertise Your Company In The Bible? This Blasphemy Has A Purpose
The Bible — it’s a sacred book, with a great deal of meaning to many people. For some, it’s a book of stories, for others, it’s a guide to life, and others still see it as a history text. Even for nonbelievers, the Bible has relevance, thanks to its influence on literature, art, and popular culture. It has been translated into many languages, and rewritten in many versions. Some versions of the Bible attempt to make it more accessible by updating or simplifying the language. Others, such as the Skeptic’s Annotated Bible, are often considered offensive for bringing in outside information, or comparing portions of the Bible in unconventional (and skeptical) ways. A project that’s going on right now, though, will put ads in your Bible.
A Bible with ads in it might sound like the most blasphemous idea you’ve ever heard.
It’s supposed to.
According to Adweek, the creators of what’s called the Product Placement Bible say that the purpose is to remind people how important it is to keep sacred things pure.
“It’s a not-so-subtle reminder for us to preserve our most sacred institutions. There’s a time and a place for marketing messages, and it shouldn’t be in our most revered work of scripture. We came up with this far-fetched idea, sensed its potential as a content platform, and simply followed it to its logical conclusion. We mean no harm to anyone and want people to know that this is nothing more than a parody intended to be laugh out loud entertainment. And, of course, serve as a cautionary tale.”
The content is definitely shocking.
And on the sixth day, god created Manwich.
— ProductBible (@ProductBible) April 2, 2015
— ProductBible (@ProductBible) April 3, 2015
With the Google logo replacing the word ‘God,’ and Lord & Taylor’s taking the place of simply ‘Lord,’ there’s no doubt the Product Placement Bible is more than a little blasphemous. However, with some of the passages so heavily branded that they’re barely recognizable, there’s also no doubt that the men behind it — George Logothetis and Graham Clifford, both of whom draw on their advertising experience for the Bible project — have made their point.
Lending Trees of all kinds will grow on both Citibanks of the river. http://t.co/I0Wx5FU6Gm
— ProductBible (@ProductBible) April 2, 2015
Whoever follows me will never wear Crocs in darkness, but will have the Tasti D-Lite of life. http://t.co/RrwchB4XTv
— ProductBible (@ProductBible) April 3, 2015
Ads don’t belong everywhere. Product placement in movies can sometimes be workable, and could fit in some novels. It doesn’t belong in most of our literary works of art, though, and there’s certainly no room for ads in the Bible. Check out the whole Product Placement Bible project here, and, if you’d like, purchase your own ad space in it — but if you do, take a moment to remember why.
[Photo Credit: madsfoto]
