Dawn vs Dawn

No. Not the sunrise. The dish soap.

Welcome to another Mike-has-lost-it-expose’.

Dawn works. I know this because the ads tell me it works. 

Right. Marketing is often more about the spin as it promotes the good stuff and ignores the downsides. So maybe I am not so very certain that my dishes will be sparkly clean and ready for the next Sloppy-Joe.

We live in a land of choices – and that’s good, usually. But sometimes, it’s just all too much.

My dirty dishes will be piling up soon. Translation: Shopping was on today's schedule. I looked at rows of cleaning products for pots, pans, and dishes. Could it really make any difference?  Grab the cheapest one and go, right?

But advertising works.

I’ve chosen to purchase the product named Dawn, but I’m not done yet. The variety is staggering, and I need to pick one. My choices are:

• Platinum EZ-Squeeze
• Platinum Foam
• Platinum Liquid
• Platinum Bleach Alternative Liquid
• Platinum Power wash Spray
• Original Liquid
• Botanicals Liquid 
• Ultra EZ – Squeeze
• Antibacterial Liquid
• Gentle Clean Liquid
• Free and Clear Liquid
• Free and Clear Power wash Spray

And once the choice has been made, further refinements are necessary. I am faced with the challenge of bringing a pleasing and captivating scent back to the kitchen. Wait. Maybe I need to go back and find something good for my hands – like the aloe one. Or, perhaps the first choice is fine and I'll just wash dishes wearing rubber gloves.  Will I find gloves in one of the grocery isles? Maybe I should look in the hardware section.  Home goods?  

Ugh. I might need to reconsider cheap-and-go.

But advertising works.

No cheap today. I’m sticking with Dawn. I do this not because of the promotional text on the packaging or the most recent television ad. No, it’s because of the images that burrowed into my soul 12 years ago as I watched the Deepwater Horizon Explosion and Oil Spill while paying close attention to the toll on human life, the economy, and of course, the environment.

I don’t honestly know if Dawn is better than Palmolive. But I know that because of the still-very-much-alive-oil-covered-Texas duck images, Proctor & Gamble’s (Formed in 1837, Cincinnati) Dawn Dish-Soap will be my choice.

Okay. Cute story. It can be considered Impactful, emotional, and maybe even life-changing (well, that for sure if we’re talking about petroleum-covered wildlife) but perhaps mine as well. 

Psychologists know that memory is a powerful resource.

Marketing people know that video works because it touches more of our senses.

These things make us vulnerable to a degree.  We are easily influenced by images that can have lasting effects. But I hope for more than sleight-of-hand. I hope that discernment can also enter our decision-making. I didn't buy dish soap.

• I bought a just few ounces of duck-love. 
• I bought a worldview that says, “We take care of wildlife.” 
• I confirmed my belief that our first mandate as people of God is to take care of the earth and its inhabitants. (Genesis 1:26-28)