Rethinking religion for the consumer

Ever thought that religion could do with a bit of a rebranding? Thomas Andersson, who has recently completed an MA in Design Futures at Goldsmith’s College, has gone one further and is designing an entire belief system.

The idea came from his MA studies, where he explored the concept of religious movements as a way of developing a relationship between the customer/consumer and the designer, with particular reference to Benetton.

Essays include a thorough investigation of the benefits in customer loyalty which McDonald’s could reap with a new ‘McFuneral’ concept, a study of ‘Virtual pets and religion’, and the intriguing ‘Virgins and the marketing of laundry detergents’.

The problem with the Millennium Dome, he says, is that ‘we are not allowed/ prepared to redesign the underlying belief system (Christianity)’.

Andersson, who describes himself as a conceptual thinker and a nihilist, is currently unemployed, but would like a job where he could put some of his ideas into practice.

‘My dream would be for someone to call me and commission a religion… But that might be hard,’ he says.