Jesus, the Adman
Barton, who personally always saw himself as an author, completed his life's major work in 1924. The Man Nobody Knows is an account of Jesus as "the most popular dinner guest in Jerusalem." Jesus was "in fact an adman: persuading, recruiting followers, finding the right words to arouse interest and create desires, in short exemplifying all the principles of modern salesmanship" (Fox, 1984, p.107-108). Barton had difficulty finding a publisher because the book was controversial to show Jesus in such an everyday, average light. The book was considered "irreverent" in the 1920's, but its ideas are actually pretty thought provoking today.
Barton spoke of how different people perceive Jesus on the basis of their own lifestyle and profession. Doctors first think of Jesus as the Great Physician. Lawyers admire how he constructed arguments in trial. Barton saw him as the greatest adman that ever lived. Barton saw Jesus' parables as His advertisements. The parables painted pictures of the concepts that Jesus stood for and wanted to teach his followers. "Generalities would have been soon forgotten. But the story that had its roots in everyday human existence and need, lives and will live forever. It condensed the philosophy of Christianity [Love your God; Love your neighbor as yourself.] into half a dozen unforgettable paragraphs. The parable of the Good Samaritan is the greatest advertisement of all times" (Barton, 1924, p.142).
Barton felt that a main secret of Jesus' success was His affection for the people with whom He shared his stories. "It is said that great leaders are born, not made. The saying is true to this degree, that no man can persuade people to do what he wants them to do, unless he genuinely likes people, and believes that what he wants them to do is to their own advantage" (Barton, 1924, p.100).
Barton summarized Jesus' advertising strategy:
"Let him [the modern adman] learn their [the advertisements] lesson, that if you would teach people you first must capture their interest with news; that your service rather than your sermons must be your claim upon their attention; that what you say must be simple, and brief, and above all sincere -- the unmistakable voice of true regard and affection"
(Barton, 1924, p.157-158).
Barton went on to write several more books about religion and even a textbook about advertising campaigns. He also wrote some parables (Jesus' ads) himself. The most popular and well remembered one is There Are Two Seas <click to read> which teaches the importance of giving.
INTRO EARLY LIFE NEW ADMAN BDO BBDO JESUS POLITICS BIBLIOGRAPHY