I saw the huge letters of a single German word, followed by an exclamation point. It adorned the oversized picture of an automobile: “FREUDE!”
BMW’s new promotional campaign was plastered all over Munich when I visited there years ago with John Piper. I didn’t know German, but John did from his studies there in the seventies. Finally, I turned to ask for a translation of the one-word slogan. He smiled and said, “Joy.”
Joy We Commend
Joy and happiness are not unintelligible words to the world. Humans today, like humans throughout history, want to be happy. We crave real joy. We spend our lives, however consciously or not, seeking various satisfactions for our deep inner longings. We think and talk about happiness in countless ways. Savvy marketers know they are selling joy and happiness. Car companies know. Even fast-food chains know, as captured in the Christmas-season campaign “Spread the joy!” or the current “Feed your happy.”
