We are being subjected to subliminal advertising constantly.
Digital Marketing experts estimate that most Americans are exposed to around 4,000 to 10,000 advertisements each day.1 Writer Ron Marshal said,
“Standing at my sink I turned on my Moen faucet, grabbed my Arm & Hammer toothpaste, a Crest toothbrush and Pearl Drops, my Mennen shaving cream, my Schick razor and Right Guard deodorant. I count 51 product labels within eyesight in my medicine cabinet and 47 other labels just standing in our bathroom while looking around. I’m up to around 200 ads and my hair isn’t even combed yet.”
Last night we went to a small town rodeo for the Independence Day celebration.
- They had the usual banners up for local businesses
- The announcer would make mention in between jokes with the rodeo clown about sponsors
- One of the rodeo princesses would ride a flag of a local business in between each event.
- One of the clowns was throwing our shirts with logos on it
- Another group shot out shirts with logos with an air compressor
I wasn’t even aware of it until I sat down to write this post. We are constantly being pressured to buy, to rate, to subscribe, and to sample. President Spencer W. Kimball addressed ways we could fight back as parents and said, “It seems to me it would be a fine thing if every set of parents would have in every bedroom in their house a picture of the temple so the [child] from the time he is an infant could look at the picture every day and it becomes a part of his life. When he reaches the age that he needs to make this very important decision, it will already have been made.”2
We can create an oasis for our families in our homes from this marketing machine. We can surround ourselves with beautiful art that can teach our children about Christ, His holy temples, pictures of the First Presidency, beautiful nature scenes and also pictures of our families. I am a visual learner and the art in my home I grew up in and now in the home I am in has really affected me. I love beautiful art! I have thought deeply about what I want my family to internalize when they are home.
I recently went through the Utah Valley Parade of Homes Tour when my sister came into town. It’s something we do together. I usually resist because the over-the-topness of it all can be too much for me. I know some are spec homes and some have been built for families, but the one that touched me the most had such beautiful art, I thought I would share the pictures I took with you. They also had 2 huge pastoral paintings of the Nauvoo Temple in the living room that I didn’t get a picture of.
The above 4 pictures were simply matted in neutral colors and frames and so it is very subtle and elegant. They were lined up in hallway 4 across. The secret to framing quotes is to put it on cardstock paper. Regular paper from your printer will wrinkle over time.
I also love how “The Proclamation On the Family is Framed was coupled with “The Living Christ.”
In the basement playroom this colorful world map took up the whole wall. I included the source if you are interested.
My favorite! A Brian Kreshisnik painting of a family vigorously discussing something with the angels above weighing in. I love the subliminal themes that are being broadcast:
- Family dinners are important
- We need to talk as a family
- Your voice is important no matter how old you are
- Angels are involved with us
- They care what we are saying and doing
- We think gathering as a family is so important that it’s one of the biggest pictures in the house (3×4 feet).
- We like gathering as a family because it’s the first thing you see when you walk in the front door
- Those we love are still around us
I love the hand gestures of everyone in the painting. It shows to me that vital matters are being weighed and balanced as you see both of the women’s hands on shoulders or arms to off set the head of the table vigorously putting up his arm. It is a vibrant and wonderful example of how art can have us look and wonder for a long time.
What does the art in your home teach your children?
- http://www.redcrowmarketing.com/2015/09/10/many-ads-see-one-day/
- The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball (1982), 301.
"Peace Like A River…" 