Making a Commercial

One of my friends is an actress. Not the big name Hollywood type (even though I think she’s talented enough), but she has done local theatre and various other parts. Recently she was hired as a stand-in for a big budget commercial. I was fascinated to hear her describe all that was involved in creating this 30-second spot. The commercial featured a high-profile entertainer and dozens of people to handle the cameras, lighting, make-up, direction, etc. Filming of this commercial took three days! They spent millions of dollars to create what seems like a simple video for an ordinary product.

This story is a sad commentary on our society that we spend so much on marketing, but it also has important implications for Christian leaders. If churches try to go toe-to-toe with the media in “advertising” our product, we will lose. They have far deeper pockets than we have. On the other hand, we have a message that is far more important and compelling. We don’t need to resort to manipulation. It reminds me of a tweet from Matt Chandler: “For a church whose foundation is creativity and not the Gospel, the end result is always absurdity.”

There is a haunting irony in all of this: the advertising executives of Madison Avenue spend massive resources to convince people that their products are life-changing. We have the only true life-changing “product,” but we are far too reluctant to tell others. What kind of “commercial” will you make today?

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