It seems the older I get, the more I realize that our approach to the holiday season is totally off. That is, until I stumbled across the Advent Conspiracy. I now see a glimpse of hope. This movement began in 2007 by 3 churches in the United States. They realized that the "true meaning" of Christmas has become... out of focus. They basically decided that there's a better way to go about the season. The idea behind this is to worship fully, spend less, give more and love all, in order to accomplish the following goals:
- Reduce unnecessary stress, debt and the hyper commercialism of Christmas
- Invite “presence” of relationships and reflection about what we are truly celebrating
- Work towards wiping out the number one killer on this planet, lack of clean water
Keith Levy, a contributor to Forbes evaluates the marketing aspect of this movement. He states "...it’s an incredibly compelling marketing approach that essentially appeals to everyone who can relate with the chaotic environment of the Christmas shopping season." He is absolutely right.
In their first year, AC raised $500,000. Today, the final count has grown into the millions. How did they become such a success? Because they promote an idea everyone can relate to and have a thought-provoking, heart-string-pulling marketing communications plan.
With endorsements from figures such as Whoppie Goldberg, Christian rock bands and best-selling authors, the campaign is definitely being talked about. Through the use of books, DVD’s, brochures, videos, press kits to spread the word, AC has managed to promote that it is time we reconsider how we spend our time and money during the holiday season.
At the same time, all this spending has a positive side; it keeps the economy moving. Creating jobs, putting food on tables and keeping the roof over peoples' heads has become more and more difficult.
Will this campaign change the face of Christmas? Probably not. Has it promoted awareness, altered perceptions and changed lives around the world? Absolutely.
To find out more about this incredible movement, check out www.AdventConspiracy.org or Keith Levy's blog.