26 centuries ago, a wandering Greek philosopher and singer named Orpheus got the idea that our "souls" existed in some preincarnate state before they were imprisoned in our bodies as punishment for their "sins." The goal of life, he argued, was to purify our personal souls so they can return to their previous blissful state.
If Adidas has its way, five will beat one. The German company has signed an 11-year deal with the National Basketball Association to be its main provider of uniforms and clothing. But Nike still makes 80 percent of all sneakers sold in this country, and Adidas wants to do something about that. This morning's Wall Street Journal tells us how: the latter is launching a new marketing campaign aimed directly at the former.
We're all familiar with Michael Jordan's Nike ads back in the 80's, resulting in a basketball shoe which still leads the market today. To counter Nike's "cult of personality," Adidas has signed front-line players under the theme, "It Takes 5IVE." Its ads will extol the importance of the team. Whether the ads will sell more shoes to the individuals on that team remains to be seen. And that, of course, is the goal of the effort.
It would be best if they didn't have Mickey Mouse on their shoes, at least at Columbia University. Today's New York Times reports on a student-led protest against Robert A. Iger, the chief executive of the Walt Disney Company. Mr. Iger, a 1973 graduate of the college, was at the school last week to help launch its $115 million fund-raising campaign, for which he is honorary chairman. He has given an undisclosed amount to the campaign personally. The students distributed pamphlets and posted fliers protesting Disney's labor practices, environmental record, and alleged media bias. However, when they learned that the gift had come from Mr. Iger personally rather than the company, one student said "it alleviated our fears."
26 centuries ago, a wandering Greek philosopher and singer named Orpheus got the idea that our "souls" existed in some preincarnate state before they were imprisoned in our bodies as punishment for their "sins." The goal of life, he argued, was to purify our personal souls so they can return to their previous blissful state. From then to now, we in the West have focused on the one over the many. We are consumers of religion, government, and economics. We measure success by personal achievement. We use team concepts to sell to individuals. We protest donations from companies which allegedly discriminate against individuals, unless the gift comes from one.
But "we" over "me" is more than a slogan. It is also God's design for our lives: "even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ" (1 Corinthians 12:12). We discover our purpose when we serve the common good, using our gifts for our Father and his family. How do we find and fulfill this joyous, liberating calling? Let's continue tomorrow.
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