Consumption and Spirituality by Rinallo Diego;Scott Linda;Maclaran Pauline;

Author:Rinallo, Diego;Scott, Linda;Maclaran, Pauline;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Group

“INSPIRED BY MOHAMMED”

By and large, Islam is promoted through a hodgepodge of methodologies. Traditional advertising is targeted to attract mainstream religious seekers. Islamic televangelism, while also mainstream, appeals to a younger Muslim cohort.8 Finally, social networking and viral marketing (particularly rap videos) are used to attract a more violent Jihadi fringe—a minority view, for sure, but one that attracts significant media attention. The branding of Islam broadly is being negotiated in the secular media space via these competing messages. This should, perhaps, not surprise us given there is no centralized Islamic governing body to manage a cohesive communication strategy such as there is for the Mormon church.

However, similar to the “I’m a Mormon” campaign, “Inspired by Muhammad” was implemented in response to negative publicity and a continuingly poor international public image, particularly since the events of September 11th. Created by the Exploring Islam Foundation (EIF), a UK nonprofit, this campaign was launched to help change public perception in light of data which found that “58% of the British population surveyed associated Islam with extremism, 50% associate it with terrorism and 68% feel the religion encourages the repression of women” (Dougall, 2010).

The advertising campaign consists of a series of print ads. One features a Middle Eastern looking male, another shows a Middle Eastern looking female in a veil, and one presents a blonde, white, 30-something female. This last is a well-known MTV Europe personality, Kristiane Backer, who famously converted to Islam. The veiled woman is a barrister, and the man works with a homeless charity. The ads end with a call to action to go to the website (“Find out more at InspiredbyMuhammad.com”). Whereas previous campaigns such as “Islam is Peace” directly addressed the connection between violence and Islam, in this case hostility is not in evidence. Rather the campaign is intended to be optimistic and upbeat, which is emphasized through the use of bright colours, notably in the campaign’s logo. The ads appeared in subways, on buses, and on shrink-wrapped taxis.

The campaign uses a pro-social copy strategy, not unlike the “green” marketing and corporate responsibility initiatives used by packaged goods companies. For example, the former MTVer is identified as an “eco-Muslim.” Her ad states, “I believe in protecting the environment. So did Muhammad.” For the barrister, the ad reads, “I believe in women’s rights. So did Muhammad.” And the final ad says, “I believe in social justice. So did Muhammad.” According to EIF spokesperson Remona Aly, “We wanted to highlight areas that are buzz terms at the moment.... The environment is a really hot topic at the moment, and people are not aware Muslims are encouraged to care for the environment by the prophetic teachings and also the Koranic teachings” (Houpt, 2010). Thus, although the visuals of the campaign communicate diversity as much as the Mormon ads do, in terms of messaging, the issue is about dispelling misperceptions about Islamic beliefs through tying the faith to lifestyle issues. Unlike the Mormon ads, the communication is not that I am like you, but that I care about the things you care about and so do the people of my faith.

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