| Summary: | 碩士 === 國立雲林科技大學 === 工業設計系碩士班 === 101 === In 2007, convenience store FamilyMart and design studio DEM inc. cooperated to launch “Good Gods Figures” together with point collection, and the store increased its sale considerably--3.6 millions of the figurines were exchanged, and the sale was boosted to the extent of 1 billion NTD in a summer. In this case, religion become a target of marketing, and religious subjects, the Figures, are successfully taken into mass marketing. Also, in Taiwan’s modern history of design, this is a significant event that religion is regarded as a subject matter.
Religion, serving functions of uniting people, guiding minds, and anchoring spirit, plays an extremely important role in the human society, especially in Taiwan, where beliefs are essential for maintaining a stabilized society. In addition to the great impact that religion exerts upon the society traditionally, it introduces new subjects and challenges to the field of marketing. We’ve seen cases of religious marketing: the Taiwanese popular song, Bobee (sang by entertainer Wang, Tsai-hua and released in 2010), caused a phenomenon; a technology company held a design contest themed as goodness Mazu; and Mazu processions were broadcasted online simultaneously. Now religion is different from the solemnness it represents and the spirit anchor it provides traditionally.
Commercialization of religion in Taiwan began in 1999 when the Taichung County Government promoted religious tourism featuring in Mazu procession and push forward related product design. In 2005, the Council of Cultural Affairs held “Wow! Arts is fun; Culture is life” to promote digital archive and adding value by creativity. This event was themed as traditional fork beliefs and promoted creative design. Religious design is to turn pure figurines and decorations into mass-produced commodities. It differs from the design of daily necessities.
This study aims at the growing trend of commercialization of religion and adopts field work as methodology. In this study, religious people from temples and industrial designers are interviewed. It discusses why religion, regarded as holy before, is rebuilt in an image of cuteness and entertainment. And why this marketing strategy has successfully opened up a new market know as religious marketing and a new consumer group.
Design plays a role of promoting and image-building in Taiwan, which mainly consists of small and medium businesses. The purpose of this research is to probe into the thoroughly different design approach in religious commodities, the replacement of manufacturing by capital exchanging focused on mobility (like tourism), and formation of design-intense production which aims at symbol creating and the symbolic economy.
|
|---|
