This campaign was inspired by a podcast I produced with my dad. We don’t see eye-to-eye on a lot of things, yet we make our connection more important than our differences. Some would say that’s human nature because we are family. I believe the same conditions can be orchestrated within our human society so we don’t allow ‘differences’ to create division. This realization is at the forefront of this campaign.
The Logo
I consider the tradition of two people vying for good luck by pulling and snapping either end of the funicular bone of a Thanksgiving turkey to be barbaric and uncivilized. We do it because it’s a tradition; something an ancient civilization deemed a good idea, yet we continue the tradition’s brutishness because it’s what we’ve “always done.”
This same mentality is pervasive in our global societies where we continue to believe and act based solely on tradition or the ways we have “always done” things. In many cases, this no longer serves us as individuals or as a society of humans.
The campaign logo depicts the right middle portion as riveted—indicating a potential break—while visually remaining whole due to the lower right end of the bone being intact. The riveted portion is to imply that the choice to break the curved bone is optional.
The color palette was chosen to nod to the healing aspects of nature, as well as the psychological effect of green evoking a sense of balance and harmony.
The Campaign
The DIVISION IS OPTIONAL campaign serves as a bridge of compassion and reason for people of all walks of life, and specifically those who tend to disagree or differ on a variety of perspectives.
Through live and recorded conversations, this campaign sheds light on the fact that we are frequently choosing the division we experience, while uncovering perspectives that before these conversations may have not been apparent or fully revealed.
The end game of these conversations fosters an environment of cooperation that results in unity or, in the least, a more realistic understanding of the person or subject that was previously the target or reason for the division.
Join us in the effort to bring unity to a divided humanity.
The good news is:
Division is optional.
We can choose another way.
It’s not as hard as we’re making it.
Interesting Data About Division
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Identity and Belonging: National, racial, and cultural identities play significant roles in how people view themselves and others. This often starts in the family.
Political Polarization: Political divisions are increasingly common, with strong party loyalty influencing such division. Our consumption of the news media and our family dynamics add to this divisive narrative.
Social Conditioning: Cultural narratives and societal norms reinforce division, particularly around topics that religious institutions can create disparities around.
Competition for Resources: Economic inequality and competition for jobs and opportunities perpetuate division, particularly in times of economic uncertainty, leading to tension between social class and demographics.
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It is believed to have been a spiritual practice of rubbing the dried collarbone of a dead bird for good luck.; a practice that dates back 2,400 years with the Etruscan people of Italy. The Romans made the ritual into the barbaric act it is today of snapping the bone being what determined good luck to whomever snapped off MORE of the bone.
Do we see a pattern yet? -
Even religious books depict competition and wars over land and property (sadly and horrifically, some of that ‘property’ were women. The old texts champion ‘dominion’ over things, retell stories about family members killing, tricking or deceiving one another over perceived lack or favoritism.
Seeing any other patterns here? -
It may appear too simple to be true, but follow this campaign as we deconstruct any and all division into a single seed source that is driving it all.
That source?
Fear.