Today marks the second and final week of the British Humanist Association’s (BHA) London Underground poster campaign, known as ‘Thought for the Commute’. The campaign, which features posters of famous humanists responding to the question ‘What’s it all for?’ alongside ‘rush hour’ social media posts on the same theme, has been warmly received by commuters and the general public over social media.
What the news said
The campaign has had wide coverage, being featured in the Independent and the i, the Telegraph, the Washington Post, and even Christian Today.
‘Thought for the Commute’ has also seen plenty of TV news and radio coverage for it as well.
Notably, the campaign was mentioned on the Today programme on the day of its launch, mentioning that the campaign sought to challenge the exclusion of humanists from that show’s Thought for the Day slot. (See the main ‘Thought for the Commute’ landing page for more information on that aspect of the campaign.)
What you have said
Social media buzz around ‘Thought for the Commute’ has been overwhelmingly positive, particularly on Facebook and Twitter.
See below for a gallery of some of the best Twitter reactions to the campaign.
‘It was important to us that this be a positive campaign,’ says BHA Chief Executive Andrew Copson. ‘We intended to give Londoners a little dose of light, positive philosophy from a humanist point of view on their way to work, and people have responded well to that. The campaign’s positivity has also very much been reflected in the reactions people have had on social media..’
The BHA is still encouraging people to send in their own responses to the question ‘What’s it all for?’ and humanist selfies (with the tube posters), using the hashtag #humanist and the BHA’s Twitter handle, @BHAhumanists. The best responses will be sent prizes by the BHA.
What’s next
While ‘Thought for the Commute’ comes to an end in London at the end of this week, the BHA is clear about wanting to take the campaign further, to towns and cities around the country.
Notes
For further information or comment please contact BHA Head of Public Affairs Pavan Dhaliwal on pavan@humanists.uk or 0773 843 5059 or Chief Executive Andrew Copson on andrew@humanists.uk or 07855 380 633
For more information about the poster campaign visit www.TFTC.today
Humanists have long been excluded from Thought for the Day, the daily scripted slot on the Today programme on BBC Radio 4 that offers ‘reflections from a faith perspective on issues and people in the news’, yet humanists and the non-religious have played an important role in shaping our laws, championing human rights and a fairer society for everyone. Thought for the Commute offers four easily accessible humanist perspectives on one of life’s biggest questions: ‘What’s it all for?’
The British Humanist Association is the national charity working on behalf of non-religious people who seek to live ethical and fulfilling lives on the basis of reason and humanity. It promotes a secular state and equal treatment in law and policy of everyone, regardless of religion or belief.