Hasta La Creative!

Once upon a time, I thought that I was an Atheist (the position that deities do not exist). But, I was confused: I was an Agnostic (there is no verifiable proof of a God). Now, I think that I’m simply a believer.

This all came flooding back today as I drove through the Loop on my way to lunch. I had just left a meeting outside the city, and was driving, trying to pay attention without much luck. It’s illegal to use cell phones while driving here, so there went half my entertainment. The other half, the radio, was playing alternative rock. Bored, I started people watching while caught in stop/go traffic. I watched as people scurried about as I patiently cut off a honking cab that was edging in between my car and a bus. It was then that I noticed the banner on the side of the bus, and I stopped watching the cab and thought “Huh. I wonder what they are advertising.” The bus and my car were stuck together two blocks later and I exclaimed aloud;

“Those are the Indiana Atheist ads!”

The Indiana Atheists (IA) picked up the idea from atheists in Canada and London, where pro-Atheist bus campaigns have already run. In London, a month-long, 800 bus onslaught was derived by a London comedy writer that saw Christian ads being displayed on public transportation. Ariane Sherine, self-proclaimed atheist, came up with the slogan, “There’s probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.” The story was picked up by Time as one of the top religion stories of the year.

Unfortunately, the Indiana Atheists were late hitting Chicago

The pious have been buying ad space from the city’s decaying, cash-strapped public transportation system for a while. One recent religious ad read, “ISLAM. Got questions? Get answers. FREE Quran & Literature,” followed by a toll-free telephone number.

Chicago was not the first target sought by the IA; Bloomington, IN, turned the advertising down. Thesecond target was South Bend. Pro-religion bus ads had already run in South Bend, so the city had little choice when it came to ad acceptance.

Why do the atheists advertise? There is no message, no real group solidarity, and their self-stated goal is that they are not out winning converts. Are they branding?

According to Roy Speckhardt, Executive Director of the American Humanist Association;

“…you don’t see [atheists] having a caucus in Congress or anywhere else. It’s a group that’s been in the closet. People are afraid to ‘come out’ to their families and say they don’t believe in God.” The ads are designed to show lonely atheists that they do not walk alone — and they can go on disbelieving.

Although I bleed CMYK, it seems to me that donations could be spent in a much more effective manner to tell lonely atheists that they are not alone. People that are “good without God,” could start up a shelter to feed the homeless, help the poor pay bills, or buy groceries for a hundred families. The message would actually be stronger (doing good without God) due to their actions. Add that to the fact that news outlets are searching for “feel good” stories, the IA would; help a needy family; send their message, and; generate positive public relations. A Win-Win-Win.

My one question, “How did they determine that cadres of closeted atheists were searching for solace? Did I miss ‘60 Minutes,’ or something?”

Jeff Louis: Strategic Media Planner, Project Manager, and New Business Account Coordinator. His passion is writing. If you would like to get in touch with Jeff, please leave a reply or follow the links: www.linkedin.com or www.twitter.com.