Commercial Monks
Ceremonial fans decorated with the logo of a fast-food chain are to be withdrawn
from a renowned Bangkok monastery after a public outcry.
Buddhist monks hold the fans while chanting and one mourner told a newspaper
that whenever she looked up expecting spiritual comfort during a funeral, she
saw a sign urging her to eat at MK.
The fans, normally embroidered with images of temples or religious symbols, have been emblazoned with the MK logo - akin to putting the McDonalds's arches on Bibles in Westminster Abbey - since the chain's owners paid for four pavilions to be built at the Samian Naree temple.
"We might even see the logo of a massage parlour if they donate," said
one senator, Kamphol Phumanee.
[Full
Story]
I certainly hope this practice doesn't pass into the Catholic world.
Back in 2002 in response to the selling of private chapel's in the LA Cathderals I had some suggestions for other advertising possibilities.
1. One billion Catholics and there are no banner ads at the official
Vatican website, ridiculous.
2. If the Superbowl can charge a million dollars for a 30 second commercial,
we should be able to get 10 million for placing the Pepsi or Coke logo on the
Pope's mitre.
3. The Popemobile has plenty of room for advertisements.
4. We could start Mass with "This Mass has been made possible by a grant
from Exxon."
5. After the Gospel "This Gospel was brought to you by the King of Kings
and also the king of beers.
6. Advertising in missalettes, seasonal sales can be precisely placed according
to the liturgical season.
7. Liturgical vestments could be designed to carry ads like NASCAR drivers.
8. Owners have made tons of money by renaming a sports stadium after the sponsor.
In the future we could have the Budweiser Cathedral or Our Lady of Domino's
Pizza.
9. Rent out confessionals as office space, after all they are only used once
a week for about 30 minutes.
Here is another story on the church and advertising.
The business community knows more than most that Southern Nevada is a fierce market for the charity dollar. Non-profit agencies in Nevada are fighting it out for public support and to capture the public's attention. Local advertising and PR giant R&R Partners is using its professional expertise to give one of those charities a hand in branding itself in this fiercely competitive market.
R&R, is most famous now for its wildly successful campaign promoting Las Vegas tourism. The firm has recently formed a pro-bono alliance with Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada. This partnership, however, may potentially offers strategies that for-profit agencies could learn from.
Known as 
I like this kind of article (referring to the first one) about commercial sponsorship of holy objects, because it acts as a corrective on the somewhat-idealized view of Buddhism we have in Christendom. This view is not necessarily insidious; in fact, it's perfectly understandable, in both exoticizing and "grass is always greener" senses.
I've also read articles also about what we would probably consider the absurdly idealistic view of Christian clergy that is apparently common in East and Southeast Asia, where the people live with actual (at least culturally-) established Buddhism. And apparently wry and/or baudy jokes about corrupt Buddhist monks and nuns are as common in Asia as "a minister, a priest and a rabbi..." jokes are in the West.
Good idea, Jeff...I will be sure to pass this on to my spiritual director; perhaps they can bring it up at the next finance committee meeting.
I'd sure love to see our parish priests with Pep Boys logos on their stoles. At the very least, it'd cure the whole "no masculinity" thing of which priests are often accused.
It's like living in a cartoon...
Wasn't advertising in the local church what drove Lisa Simpson to Buddhism?