Thursday, August 25, 2011

"Dawn 'til Dawn"

In college, my classmates and I were assigned to design a product and then advertise it as part of a communications class. We decided to "create" a new perfume. We called it Dusk 'til Dawn. Catchy name, isn't it? We were actually very proud and happy of our great idea. Then it was time to design a commercial for it. We had to do both print and audio advertisements. Thankfully, we didn't have to do a TV commercial. We composed a song for the project and we had to look for a "model" to promote the product.

You have to use your imagination on how we did all these. You have to understand that we lived in a small town, we had a small-town setting, and we didn't have the accessibility to a music studio to record our "jingle" nor did we have the modern-day luxury of having high-tech equipment at our disposal to use for these ads. All we had were our "raw" skills and talents, backed-up by the theories and lessons we got from the advertising class. We also had our creativity and our imaginations tucked under our belts, lots of it. It was so much fun working with friends who had the same interests as I had back then. And when the product creation, song composition, the photo shoot, and the creative deliberations have all been done and put into paper, it was time to unveil the Dusk 'til Dawn commercials. And of course, we nailed it! Those were very exciting times indeed, and lots of great memories. We had a blast.

Why did we call the perfume Dusk 'til Dawn? We wanted to create the impression of a long lasting, all-day-long scent. Just by hearing the name of the perfume alone, we wanted to create the feeling of an enduring and top quality product. This is one factor of advertisement --creating and injecting a need in people and then meeting that need with a product that needed to be advertised so people would know that it exists. Our main target consumer was the female gender, for we know that women like to smell great from morning 'til night, and when you're in a tropical climate, that's always a challenge. But with Dusk 'til Dawn, problem solved! Easy enough, huh? I wish.

We love products that can stand the test of time, live up to the promises they give, and those that meet our expectations. I'd like to believe we now have become very smart consumers. With all the information, data and feedbacks available to us anytime we can now make informed choices of what's the best for us and our family. I hope. Sometimes we try new products after careful research and consideration but still they end up to be a waste of money. There are times that these products can even be harmful to us. But we learn our lesson, we move on and we try to stay away from those particular products and brands.

If only manufacturing industries and consumer companies will make and promote products which are of outstanding quality that meet people's "high standards," they will have loyal buyers for ever! Yet I know it's not as easy as 1-2-3. For one, even with the best-est of our highest standards, humans are inherently flawed. And when matched with some human error, negligence here and imperfections there, we will always be a problem at hand. Defective and contaminated products end up in our cupboards and into our homes all the time. Product recalls are everywhere. Lawsuits are coming in from all sides against giant corporations and even against the "small" farmers and manufacturers. We try our very best but our best isn't good enough, as some song lyrics go somewhat.

Even with the make-believe perfume we created, we couldn't make it flawless. It was just a figment of our imagination but we could only do so much, limited by our minds, hindered by our resources and pressed short by our talents. We can't even come up with a perfect product out of sheer creativity. We could have named it "Dusk 'til Dusk" or "Dawn 'til Dawn," to give the illusion of a 24-hour, forever-lasting, best-quality perfume. Yet even if we tried and did that, no one would've believed us. And there goes our target consumers..... 

"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." -1 Thessalonians 5:21

Thankfully, there exists a real "Dawn 'til Dawn" presence in our lives. Whether we like it or not, there is a 24/7, enduring, omnipresent and perfect Being that exists amidst of us. Like any "smart shoppers," we wouldn't and shouldn't believe nor accept and trust in such an existence just because some people happen to preach it. We must do our own research on this very important subject. We must never believe anything until we are fully persuaded and completely convinced that it's absolutely true. God Himself tells us to ask Him for wisdom so we may understand His Word through the Holy Spirit. He also tells us to "test all spirits" so we may not be deceived. We are also encouraged to study (not just read) the Scriptures so at the end of the day, there's nothing more we can say and we are left with no more excuses on whatever decision we arrive at in regards to His claims of truth and His existence.
"Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world." -1 John 4:1-3 

Dawn 'til Dawn. Dusk 'til Dusk. What an all-encompassing, all-inclusive descriptions. We have absolutely no escape. From sunrise to sunrise and sunset to sunset, God's presence is with us. Whether we believe it or not, His existence is real and it doesn't need to be advertised to create a need within us for we were created with that need He alone can fill. We may try to hide or deny Him from our minds but we only end up miserable and hopeless. No matter how much we convince ourselves that we are in control of our lives and everything that happens to us yet the powerful truth is, we can't even control the daily oxygen supply from the air that we breathe. Ultimately, we can not even control our own death. This is His universe, we can try to exclude Him from our lives but we can only do as much. Even all the hard-core atheists are not excluded from His perfect love. Without our permission, God still exists, God still reigns, and God still continues to love us.

4 comments:

  1. You have such interesting and varied experiences! I look forward to what else I will find out about you in future posts. I wish there really was a fragrance that lasted from dusk until dawn. So thankful my God endures beyond that.

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  2. Thanks, Stephanie. That's why I so love this blogging thing, it makes me reminisce what has happened in my life. There might be days when I feel like I have a bland & uneventful life but God has helped me to look back & appreciate the adventures I've had so far. And I can't stop praising Him for all that He's done & continues to do. Now I know that I have an amazing life because of Him.

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  3. This was one of the best projects we did in college - the jingle, the product, and the model are, up to this day, very much alive in my mind. On the "Dawn 'til Dawn God": I, too, am a living witness of how loving and faithful He is to me and to my family. Great God... and great post. :-) Waray pictures han model? *winks*

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  4. I know, right? That's why it's stuck in the forefront of my memory even until now. I will never forget it! Thanks for the great memories Doray. =) And thanks for the wonderful comments too! Asya iton nga "small detail" an ak gin omit parte han "model" kay makaarawod man! lol! Kita nala it maaram hiton... God bless my friend!

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