Amidst the solemnity of the Manila Cathedral Mass for Good Friday, there was what many in the industry would love to call “disruption”. Or at least I would.

I was deep in meditation or pretending to be, when the priest suddenly compared the love of God to Coke Zero. He said it was sweeter than sugar and that it was UHAW: U-maapaw (Over-flowing), H-umihilom (Healing), Abot-kamay (Attainable), and W-alang Hanggan (Endless).

I have always considered similes and metaphors as some of the simplest copywriting tools. All you need is something that resembles or represents the characteristics of your brand or product to make it more tangible and understandable for your audience.

Which is why I found the comparison of the love of God to Coke Zero as absolutely fantastic. Forgive me but if somebody from Coca Cola or its ad agency heard it, I’m sure it was as if the Heavens just parted and an olive-carrying dove descended with a choir of angels to give its imprimatur.

This made me realize how the ad industry has shaped much our cultural references. It also provoked my imagination of a future where advertising permeates everything.

It’s hard enough to swallow the jarring variations of “Fish Be With You”, the latest being “Seafood Be With You” for Lucky Me. But homily placements? If this continues, then it may really be the sign of the times. Pun absolutely intended.