Feast & ConflictGospel of John: That You May BelieveMarch 13, 2022
Legendary ad-man Rosser Reeves was an American executive and pioneer of television advertising. He was the genius behind some of the most effective ads of the 40’s & 50’s, including the “Melt in your mouth, not in your hands” M&Ms line, as well as slogans for Bic pens, Colgate toothpaste and Minute Maid orange juice. Peter Michaels, in an online article called, The Power of the Contrast Principle, relates this story:
Feast & ConflictGospel of John: That You May Believe
March 13, 2022
Legendary ad-man Rosser Reeves was an American executive and pioneer of television advertising. He was the genius behind some of the most effective ads of the 40’s & 50’s, including the “Melt in your mouth, not in your hands” M&Ms line, as well as slogans for Bic pens, Colgate toothpaste and Minute Maid orange juice. Peter Michaels, in an online article called, The Power of the Contrast Principle, relates this story:
Reeves and his friend were walking through Central Park one lunchtime when they came across a blind person begging for money. He had a cup for donations in front of him with a sign “I am blind” handwritten on it.
After explaining to the man that he knows a bit about motivating people and he might be able to help the man get more donations, Reeves asked if he would be willing to let his sign be changed.
“Sure,” the man answers and Rosser takes out his pen. He adds four words to the “I am blind” sign, then steps back to see what happens.
Soon, passers-by are dropping money into the cup and within 5 minutes, his donations have doubled. As more people drop more change, even dollar bills, the blind man begins to look a little happier.
Rosser soon heads back to his office, having effectively demonstrated The Principle of Contrast. What four words had he written on the sign?
“It is springtime and...” The sign now read: “It is springtime and I am blind.”
Michaels goes on to say, “Rosser Reeves – advertising genius and celebrated ‘wordsmith’ – didn’t add anything fancy.... He simply added contrast, which framed the man’s plight in a way that people responded to. Where they previously passed by, unmoved by ‘just another blind man’ begging for change, now they saw a person in need of help who wasn’t able to see the beautiful New York spring day they all took for granted.”
The people were moved by the contrast they saw between their own “fortune” and the lack of the blind man. And being moved, they made a decision to respond.
People respond to contrast. Contrast speeds up the connection to our brains, so we understand quickly and clearly where to focus our attention. Contrast allows us to see differences readily and thus helps us make better decisions.
This Sunday in our series on the Gospel of John, we’re looking at five contrasts that Jesus gave to help His hearers understand the differences between His message and that of the Pharisees and religious leaders. These contrasts were designed to help people see Jesus more clearly and to move their hearts toward making a decision about who He was and what it meant to follow Him.
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