I drew up behind a car at some traffic lights yesterday and in my headlight I saw it was called an Avensis. I don’t remember the brand of car, but the name stuck with me. I remember reading an article once that said that car makers pay out tens of thousands of pounds to specialist companies to come up with names for their new vehicles.
I suppose they are trying to find a name that sums up the particular characteristics of that car, or link it into a family of cars. Some of these names are very familiar. They have been around for years and really do sum up the appearance and style of a particular vehicle – none better than the Volkswagen Beetle. Though officially it was the Volkswagen Type 1.
Comedians used to use catchphrases too – do they still? Something that you would instantly associate with them. I’m going back a bit, but a few come back to me from my younger days. Arthur Askey used always to begin with, “Hello Playmates” and end with “I thank yew”. Northern Irish comedian Jimmy Cricket, would always follow a joke up with a grin and “And there’s more”.
I’m not suggesting that the vicar begins every sermon with a catchphrase. Though it might grab attention and bring a smile to people’s faces. But what is our catchphrase as Christians? Something that makes the Christian message instantly memorable, that grabs people and draws them in.
Chris Dawson