Holy Hype

This book discusses the advertising technique of using religious symbols, themes, and rhetoric in the promotion of secular consumer goods and services and, inversely, the use of nonreligious themes in the promotion of religious goods, institutions, and services.

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Holy Hype: Religious Fervor in the Advertising of Goods and the Good News defines and explores the intersection of the sacred—religious symbols, themes, and rhetoric—within the profane realm of advertising and promotion. Susan H. Sarapin and Pamela L. Morris trace the historical overlap of consumer and religious ideologies in society, offering detailed examples of its use throughout history through analyses of over a hundred collected advertisements, from monks selling copiers, to billboard messages from God, to angels and the worship of vodka. Throughout the book, the authors continually evaluate if and when the technique of ‘holy hype’ is effective through its use of recognizable sacred symbols that capture audiences’ attentions and inspire both positive and negative emotions. Scholars of communication, media studies, religion, advertising, and cultural studies will find this book particularly useful.