The Plow Creative

Lipstick on a Pig November 28 / 6:44 PM

Something we’ve all done, is take less than extraordinary content, and made it appear great through our presentation of it. “I don’t really have anything to say, but if I say it with the appropriate font and words bolded, it’ll be convincing”, or, “Just add some grunge…” “Make that picture a little more edgy…” There’s a name for this, “Lipstick on a pig.” Sometimes, we have something that needs said, and isn’t necessarily flashy. I understand that. Sometimes we do the best we have with what we have.

What I’m concerned about however, is that we have gotten so used to relying on the presentation of the content, that we are quick to excuse poor content. Content that isn’t impressive, but is received well, because of that lens flare we added in photoshop.

The better our tools become, in presenting our content (whether that’s photoshop, finalcut, or garageband), the easier it becomes to neglect originality and depth. Originality and depth mean hard work. It means spending extended time in concentrated thought. Taking the time to think beyond what other people are thinking, to produce something that is worth sharing with other people. It’s when we’ve taken the time to develop content that has the depth to make it valuable, and presentation to make it engaging, that we’ve made art.

Is the church cooler than Jesus? October 12 / 2:59 PM

Do you think the church is cooler than Jesus?
It might sound like a stupid question, but it’s one that we who think about marketing and the church need to ask. This might be a better way to phrase it; are you more excited about promoting your church, or promoting Jesus? Over the past 10 years there have been so many trends pass through the church. We have seen mega churches explode onto the scene, and have seen the revival of the neighborhood community congregation. Messages run the gamut from scripture based to T.V. show parodies, and everything in between. But one constant through all the changes, the church loves to promote itself.

The church has it all.
When dealing with marketing one of the first things you look for are great selling points. The things that make your product unique and better than the competition. Unfortunately, the church is not immune from this way of thinking. Our focus is on the things that make us “better” than that other church. Amazing kids programs, loud music, everyday people, short sermons and the best coffee are the types of phrases that get thrown around. We fight so hard to attract people with our cool features that we can often be in danger of shadowing our message. In Luke, Jesus tells us that the things we are busy talking about are the things we are most excited about. “…out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks…“ We need to take a hard look at what is revealed about the heart of our churches by our communication.

What do people need?
This is the question we really need to be asking. Do people need babysitters, lattes, and rock shows or do they need Jesus? Is the end goal a fun, trendy, comfortable place to hang out, or do we want to see lives transformed? The easy path is to give people what they want, the things they’re asking for; comfort and ease. But our job as the church is not to take the easy route, our responsibility is to give people what they need. Our message must be bigger than us. Bigger than what makes us comfortable. Challenge your church and take a risk. Talk about the man who stood against culture, refused comfort, and suffered for his people. Talk about the man who served those who did not deserve it. And talk about the man who can save this generation.

Do not fear man.
The fear behind saying too much about Jesus or the Gospel in marketing is that we will turn people off to us. If the church can get people to walk through the door, then they’re hooked. The problem is, what are they hooked to? Are they hooked to Jesus or the church? Don’t let the temptation to make much of your church, diminish making much of Jesus. Let Jesus be the attraction and the goal.

Adorning the Gospel October 11 / 4:49 PM

“so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.” – Titus 2:10b

We think a lot about presenting truth in engaging ways. Ways that are clear, true, and interesting. We try to think carefully about ideas, and present them in true ways that are engaging, and are beautiful. This goes beyond pride in the work we do, and I believe is something we are called to as followers of Christ.

When Paul writes the letter to Titus, he is encouraging him in his task of putting into order the church in Crete. This includes the leadership of the church, but also includes the members of the church, and how they should LIVE in RESPONSE to the gospel. Paul tells Titus, “Because of the gospel, there is a responsibility to DO these things.” These things he refers to are specifically, ordered, beautiful lives. Things like self-control, godliness, dignity, sound speech. All things that make a person attractive. He goes so far as to say “in EVERYTHING…” for the sake of adorning the doctrine of God.

When we think through “adorning” the doctrine of God, or making beautiful/setting in order the Gospel, its not about changing the truth, or making that truth better, but rather about presenting that truth in a way that fits it. It’s like taking a beautiful diamond and mounting it into an equally beautiful ring setting. What Paul talks about here, is living life in such a way that when we are carrying around the gospel, the truth and beauty of the gospel isn’t diminished because of our actions.

To stretch the analogy a little bit (although I believe it still applies), how are we presenting the truth that we carry, when we place it into a setting of social media, or art, or music? Are we making a beautiful setting to carry the truth in, or are we content with sub-par presentations?

Many years ago, the truth of God’s doctrine was responsible for most of the beautiful art being created. Whether that was in architecture, sculpture, or painting, the best was being created around God’s truths, and to illuminate that truth. Are we striving to use the tools and mediums available to us today, to create the most beautiful settings for God’s doctrines?

In both life and art, let’s be known as people who create beauty, because of what we are carrying with it.

cathedral photo by Jean Mottershead

Steve Jobs October 6 / 6:53 PM

Yesterday afternoon, we got an ichat message; “Steve Jobs died”. There was a mad scramble to google Steve Jobs, which resulted in an interesting string of comments, “One person tweeted it…no, its wrong…she removed it…its being apologized for..no, it might be real?…..Oh man, look at the apple page.”

It was an interesting way to end the day. We’re definitely Apple fans around here. The common table we work at is filled with a mixture of macbooks, ipads, and iphones when we’re at the office. So, you could probably call us devoted.

My first response was a feeling of almost panic. Apple is a company that has earned my trust. I know that when other companies fail me, I can turn to Apple. Steve Jobs was the face of that trust. He developed something with Apple that set them apart. It can be easy to set somebody on too high a pedestal, and that’s something we need to be cautious of. With that warning, here are just some quick thoughts I’ve had about things worth admiring in Steve Jobs:

1. Focus: Steve Jobs was good at certain things, and he concentrated on doing those things. His single minded focus gave us products that were the best. Apple managed to produce a handful of things, that are generally accepted as being the best at what they were meant to be.
2. Passion: There was something moving about the way Steve Jobs presented his keynotes. He believed with all his heart the things he was saying. Everyone could see that. He didn’t spend time saying things he didn’t feel strongly about.
3. Vision: Here’s an excerpt from a post in The American that summarizes well Steve Job’s ability to see the future, “Lots of ninnies can give customers products they want. Jobs gave people products they didn’t know they wanted, and then made those products indispensable to their lives.”

There are definitely some principles we can apply to the things we do, that can be taken from this man’s life. Part of the curse at the Fall, is a frustration with the work we’ve been given to do. We can follow the example of being focussed on the task which has been set before us, and doing it well. The grass will seem greener on the other side, but success will often come with focus and longevity, not moving to an easier task. Secondly, do we believe the things we are saying, or are we just trying to say all the correct things? We don’t have time to talk about everything, but we should be talking passionately about the most important things. Finally, are we willing to look beyond what people are clamoring for, and give them what they need? We saw Steve Job’s ridiculed more than once for a product he believed in, only to have the entire world embrace it quickly. We need to be visionaries, willing to provide what people aren’t asking for.

Sadly, with the limited knowledge we have, he never submitted to Jesus Christ. And for Steve Jobs, while we are grateful for the expression of God’s image that did much with what he was given, along with the others that die every day without knowing Christ, we grieve.

Art by Dylan Roscover: http://www.cultofmac.com/10527/incredible-steve-jobs-portrait-in-apple-typefaces/

Know before you go October 6 / 5:12 PM

I just saw this ad on Coloribus for google maps, the tag line reads “Know before you go.”

Pornography is a problem that effects most of America. It is a disease that is ruining men, women and families. As the church we should be leading the fight against this, but sadly we fall in line with the rest of the world. Here are some staggering facts about pornography.

• 12% of websites are pornogarphic
• $3,075 is spent on porn every second
• 40 Millions americans are regular visitors to porn sites
• 70% of men aged 18-24 visit porn sites every month

Now with that being said, how do we protect ourselves? Do you know what places, sites or images will tempt us? Basically, do you “Know before you go?” Before you go on a trip, go to work, or just hop on your computer or phone, do you know the areas that might tempt you? Are you preparing yourself for the temptation that surrounds you?

We October 5 / 9:52 PM

This is a well done video, and the message resonates with me as well. This is something that I’ve become more and more convinced of, that if we become genuinely concerned about the well-being of the community we’re a part of and seeking to engage with, it’s then that we’ll gain a platform to speak from.

I want to be better October 3 / 5:02 PM

The past month I have felt a healthy amount of discontentment with my life. Not with the things I have, but how I live. Do the passions of my life live up to standards that have been set before me? Do I strive to become the best that I can be? And do I really care to put in the hard work? Here are 3 areas in my life that I feel God is not so gently pushing me to improve.

MY WALK
My walk with the Lord has a long history of high peaks and low valleys. I have heard the same tale from many people, and I had sort of just accepted that this is the way life is. But it’s not how it was meant to be. I know life isn’t all cherries and roses, but it is meant to be filled with the joy of the Lord. And I need to reclaim that joy. What I’m doing:

1. Starting off each morning with prayer. Not just prayer for my day, but prayer that the Spirit will lead me each day. Prayer that scripture will come alive to me every time I read. And prayer that I will have a renewed passion for my God.
2. Daily reading of scripture. This sounds lame to even write that this is something I need to work on, because it is so basic, but I need it. I am reading less, but listening more. Spending time in the word needs to be less about how much I get through, and more about knowing God. And lastly time with others. Finding other men around me and sharing what I am going through. There is no point in going through this alone, that is not how we were created to live.

MY FAMILY
My family has always been a very high priority for me. I love and cherish each of them, but looking back at my life I realize I have not loved them as I should. My wife needs a leader and my kids need an example. I have become very relaxed in my routine, and I need to reclaim this. What I’m doing:

1. I am starting out by doing the most simple thing; listening. I listen to the needs of my wife. I listen to the needs of my kids. I take what I hear and I try my best to act on it. Making time for my wife to be heard and loved. And showing my kids that their joys and struggles are real and important. And that they have a living God that is alive in all aspect of their lives.
2. Living as an example. Showing them that God is my first priority. Taking charge in the tough decisions. And doing all of that with grace and love.

MY WORK
For the past 3 year my work has been overwhelming. Finding time to catch my breath is few and far between. But God has given me a window of time right now to slow down, and make changes. I need to rethink what I do, and how I do it. Am I a person who just creates pretty images, or is my goal to visually tell a story? What I’m doing:

1. Well, I started by just taking a deep breath. I slowed down and looked at everything that I had. God has blessed me with a wonderful group to work with, each with their own strengths. And I have clients that give me the opportunity to create freely.
2. Taking time to study my craft. Blogs, books, videos and tutorials they are all tools given to me, and I would be a fool to ignore them. I can never become comfortable where I am at, I need to keep pressing forward.

Bellies with Stars September 30 / 4:02 AM

But, because they had stars, all the Star-Belly Sneetches
Would brag, “We’re the best kind of Sneetch on the beaches.”
With their snoots in the air, they would sniff and they’d snort
“We’ll have nothing to do with the Plain-Belly sort!”
And, whenever they met some, when they were out walking,
They’d hike right on past them without even talking.

-Dr. Seuss, The Sneetches

Negative marketing was around long before John Quincy Adams supporters began passing out handbills declaring Andrew Jackson’s mother a prostitute, and his wife an adulteress. In politics, we’re used to negative campaigning, or mudslinging. Focussing on the negatives of somebody else is easy to do, and can often leave you the only acceptable candidate when everyone else is discredited.

I hate negative marketing. Sure, its funny sometimes. “Hi, I’m Mac” was brilliant, and a part of me likes poking at someone else’s weaknesses. But, it isn’t good. It isn’t good for me. I get cynical and sarcastic too quickly, and need to watch myself carefully.

In the church its even less attractive. Jesus calls out the pharisee in Luke 18 who prays, “God, I thank you that I am not like other men…” Who, in reality, isn’t praying to God at all, but only engaging in a form of negative marketing to all those around him. On the other hand, we have the positive example of Paul who, rather than engaging in mudslinging, when his name was being slandered, instead writes to the Philippian church, “What then, only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. Yes, I will rejoice.”

There is a time and a place to recognize the mistake of another church, or to warn against error. Or even to speak up about a foolish pattern. But, it seems that as the church, we’ve come to define ourselves by what and who we’re not. We’re so busy pointing out those that are different than us, that we’ve forgotten to proclaim what we’re about. And I think a watching world has written the church off as entirely irrelevant. Not because they don’t need the message of the cross, but because they haven’t heard us proclaim that message. They’ve only heard us proclaiming, “We’ll have nothing to do with the Plain-Belly sort!”

Marketing the church is easy. Take an incredibly powerful story, coupled to a called out group of unique people that are passionate about that story, and use creative ways to communicate it to a world that needs it. We’re already behind in this task before us. Who has the time to communicate a message wrapped solely around who we’re not like, and what we’re not going to do?

Don’t Be a Square (QR) September 27 / 4:35 PM

So QR codes are all the rage this year. They are like pokemon cards for marketing firms, the more you have, the cooler you are. First you would see them as small as they could be on ads. Then logos started popping up inside of them. And now they are being used as art themselves. Companies have realized that these boxy visual links can be the focus not the afterthought.

We were asked to create a mailer for the launch of a church plant in Oregon, and I wanted to do something different with their QR code. I wanted to incorporate their brand into this experience. We had originally created a great hexagon icon for the church that we have been using, and I thought that would be a perfect vessel for the qr code. It takes it out of the plain square box it has lived in for too long.

Now if you don’t know what a qr code is then read this Fast Company article. They write better than me, and know way more. But if you want to see some examples of ways you can use your qr code then just look below.

Bringing Awkward Back September 23 / 7:10 PM

The goal is to truly reflect that personality in all of marketing efforts as well as make sure a person knows what to expect before ever stepping foot inside the church. Reduce the shock factor as much as possible. There are small ways we do that: custom photography of members, showing real areas in the community, and describing what the in-service experience will look and feel like. But every once in a while we get a church that wants to just shake it all up. And you know I love that.

EastLake Church came to us with the concept for a mailer that was themed after awkwardfamilyphotos.com. The plan was to create something so off the wall, and well, awkward, that people would be forced to look twice. Kind of like staring at a train wreck. So that is what we did. How do you do that you ask? It’s pretty easy. Go to a thrift store, buy the sickest outfits, talk someone into making a fool of themselves, hang up an old bed sheet, and shoot. We did this all in my garage and just used props that we had around. The result is vintage bad taste. Enjoy.