group work - profit and loss
Posted by Anonymous Fri, 27/08/2004 - 2:51pm
- Pick out a handful of your favourite brands. They can be clothing brands, or cars, or household goods, or any other product or service. Explain why you like them. Get the group to talk about them and their advertising. Explore what they ‘stand for’. What do they ‘mean’? What are their values?
- Do the same for branding and advertising that you dislike. What are the key differences in value between these and the ones you like?
- Is our criticism of branding and advertising affected by what we think of the product? Print and read out the BBC article on charity advert complaints in additional resources. Does it make a difference if shocking and offensive advertising is used for what we might consider a good cause? Should we treat different causes differently?
- Read 1 Corinthians 6.12-20 and 8.1-13. Paul is talking about quite distinct issues here – sexual immorality and food sacrificed to idols – but how do you think his teaching might have relevance to the question of the brands we endorse and the advertising we allow?
- Look in particular at his distinction between ‘permissible’ and ‘beneficial’ in chapter 6 verse 12, ‘knowledge’ and ‘love’ in chapter 8 verse 1, and what he says about ‘the exercise of your freedom’ in chapter 8 verse 9. How might these shape our attitude to what we demonstrate in public, either individually (e.g. through our clothing) or corporately (e.g. through our advertising)?
