This is like a sick combination between those archaic chain e-mails, an anti-suicide PSA, and a nasty marketing gimmick.
Though this makes some seriously good points about expressing gratitude and acknowledgment, I’m not going to pay a shitton for cheap little ribbons with printed text and a logo. I recognize that we are in a material world, and we use material things to relate to one another, express concepts, etc. I just feel as if it is extremely unnecessary for this sort of thing to become a manufactured good.
This whole things is reminiscent of the “Character Counts” program that was pushed on my public school system. Despite it’s senatorial roots, the management of this empire lies largely in the dark. The identities of the “Character Counts Leadership Council” has been in secret since Spring of 2003. The program has spread through countless school districts across the country. Expansion hit a peak on October 14, 2005, when President Bush declared a week in October to be “Character Counts Week.”
Do note that thousands of dollars are spent by schools on promotional items under this program. After experiencing it first hand, I have to say that most of the items have short lifespans and are disposable. In other words, they aren’t necessarily the most wise investments (from even that standpoint alone). I’m talking about everything from pencils, coloring books, and posters to vinyl banners for downtown lampposts. Once, I even saw faux pillars purchased to represent the values (e.g. trustworthiness, caring) and even animal mascot suits!!!
For more information, I recommend reading this blog post: Character Counts: A Vehicle for Fraud
