SMU's ExxonMobil Lecture Series Presents "Madmen to Soulmen – Spirituality in Advertising and the Shift of a Paradigm" Featuring Dr. Galit Marmor-Lavie

Lecture examines emerging phenomenon of spirituality (not religion) in advertising

Dr. Galit Marmor-Lavie, lecturer at UT-Austin’s Department of Advertising and Public Relations and a pioneer in the emerging field of spirituality in advertising and branding, will be the guest speaker for the 2016 ExxonMobil Lecture on advertising, media and communication ethics sponsored by the Temerlin Advertising Institute at SMU’s Meadows School of the Arts. Marmor-Lavie will present “Madmen to Soulmen – Spirituality in Advertising and the Shift of a Paradigm” at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 21 in the Greer Garson Theatre of SMU’s Owen Arts Center, 6101 Bishop Blvd. on the SMU campus. A reception and networking event will be held beforehand in the Garson lobby from 6 to 7 p.m. The event is free and open to the public, and no reservations are required. Free parking will be available on Bishop Blvd. For more information, please call 214-768-3090.

The lecture focuses on the emerging phenomenon of spirituality (not religion) in advertising. Dr. Marmor-Lavie will address such questions as, Can a business have a mind or a subconscious? Given the new spirituality perspective, how should the role of the advertiser evolve? She will discuss ethical considerations and issues of authenticity in the process, and present recent developments, examples and insights.

Dr. Marmor-Lavie studies spirituality in advertising and branding, business with consciousness and strategic communication. She earned a Ph.D. from UT-Austin in 2010 with a thesis titled “Understanding Consumers’ Responses to Spiritual Advertising.” She previously served as a lecturer at the University of Haifa in Israel.

The ExxonMobil Lecture Series was established in 2001 to promote advertising, media and corporate ethics. ExxonMobil has endowed the lecture series through a grant to SMU’s Temerlin Advertising Institute. The grant supports SMU’s goal of expanding its emphasis on ethics not only in its diverse communications programs but in events offered to the public.