By Pastor Tee, Pastor of Outreach

This is the longer version of an article submitted to The Leader Magazine.

   “Who do you say that I am?” Jesus once had this conversation with Peter in Matthew 16:13-20. He answered that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of the Living God. Later, Jesus told his disciples not to tell anyone. Was Jesus worried that his brand value was not strong enough? When Jesus was arrested and taken to the Sanhedrin, the high priest asked, “Are you the Christ?” Jesus answered yes (Mark 14:53-62). Was this one of the first examples of brand influencing?!

  Even if we travel back to ancient times, branding in its most technical sense, was a way of communicating ownership and identity over an object, space or person using visuals, stories and experiences. For example, in 7th Century BC, Babylonian craftsmen imprinted symbols onto their goods. Second Century BC Egyptian farmers branded their cattle with a hot iron. Early Christians in the 2nd Century CE used the ichthus symbol (fish in Greek in pic to the left) to mark secret meeting places, tombs and to distinguish friends from foes. Ironically two centuries later, Emperor Constantine put the cross on his soldiers’ shields as he expanded the Roman empire. And let us not forget the heraldry branding in Europe in the Middle Ages. So, branding isn’t new.

   In spite of the importance of communicating ownership and identity throughout human history, Jesus was not worried about his brand value nor did he think of himself as a brand influencer. He was concerned about communicating the truth about God’s kingdom. God throughout the Old Testament communicated truthfully to humans using words and images: the rainbow after the flood (Genesis 9:13), Moses and the burning bush (Exodus 3:2), the covenants, etc. In spite of this, truth and lies are used to influence the human imagination. So, we must pay attention to how branding is applied.

   According to the creation story in Genesis, humankind is branded with God’s essence:

• We belong to God and were created to glorify and enjoy Him forever (ownership).
• We have a unique purpose and role in this world and the next (identity).
• We express our ownership and identity by being in community, at peace with others and connected to God (spiritual formation).
• We can choose how to express our ownership and identity (love, freedom, etc.)

   At its core, Jesus Christ is the incarnation of God, the Father, now seeking us to remind us through the Holy Spirit of who we are. More on this later.

Modern Branding
   A modern brand is a product or service that has a unique and immediately recognizable identity. Modern branding is the process of communicating with visuals, stories and experiences. Multi-billion dollar global companies such as Nike, Google, Disney and Apple are pioneers of successful modern branding.

   During the mid 20th century, graphic design slowly moved to the center of corporate life as America prospered after World War II. Along with advertising, graphic design provided a coherent way for images, words and experiences to work together and give a company a visual identity to market its products or services for profit. As consumerism grew with the advent of radio and television, companies created more brands for mass consumption.

As a result of modern branding’s success especially in visual brand identity, social, educational, spiritual and cultural institutions have followed the lead of corporate America. With the help of the digital revolution, the rest of us have borrowed from their playbook. But are we missing something?

The Decline of American Religion
   American Religion (a version of western Christianity) provided a way for Americans to live out their faith in a capitalistic economy. Max Weber called it The Protestant Work Ethic, which placed a high value on productivity and restricting one’s desires. The passage of labor laws in the early 20th Century brought down the number of hours worked and raised wages. This led to the growth of family, religious, civic and leisure pursuits. By the mid 20th Century, American prosperity, church attendance and community engagement was at its highest which helped accelerate consumerism. After the 1950s, American church attendance started a slow decline over the next 70 years.

   Today, news outlets are consistently reporting on the decline of religion in the U.S. (They ignore the decline of membership in social, cultural and civic institutions.) But have you noticed that modern branding is used to communicate values that fill the space once occupied by God? For example, everyone knows the slogan: ‘Love is a Subaru.’ Thanks to the profit motive, this shift from God to material things is used to birth discontent in our minds and hearts, influencing us easily. Sound familiar? Through Satan’s deceptive narrative, the first humans were exposed to the idea that they can build an autonomous identity with their own desires apart from God. Their decision to disobey their Creator in Genesis 3:6 reveals where human pursuits and relationships will always be at risk of evil influences: consumption (good for food), comparison (pleasing to the eye) and competition (gaining wisdom). These desires tethered to capitalism inevitably birth inequalities related to race, class, gender, etc. deepening our identity crisis because they attempt to replace God’s essence.

   In spite of this, God stays true to his essence. After the Fall, God made Himself known to specific individuals (Noah, Abraham, Moses, etc), a specific people (Israelites) and codified his identity through covenants. Where Adam and Eve failed, Jesus succeeded when tempted by Satan in Matthew 4.

   At one time, American religion helped keep our human appetites and relationships in check. But, as consumerism has become the bedrock of the American economy, it exposes us constantly to hyperindividualism, materialism and idolatry deepening our discontent through modern branding. How many of us display more devotion to our favorite sports team or entertainer than to Jesus? How many of us care more about being relevant on social media than about spending time with God? Modern branding techniques tempts us to build our own Tower of Babel and make a name for ourselves (Genesis 11:4).

To read Part 2, click here.