Vague messages across campus are asking students, "Everything seems OK on the outside. But how are you really feeling?"
The advertisements have been appearing almost everywhere this week — on fliers, the rock on Farm Lane and on sashes worn by students in animal costumes.
The messages include a Web site, www.EverySpartan.com, but don't say who created it.
Campus Crusade for Christ created the campaign but didn't place the organization's name on the advertisements. The Christian student group started the Web site to allow visitors to ask religious questions and learn about issues college students face — including sex, eating disorders and how to connect to God.
Since the site went online Oct. 13, it had received about 2,000 hits by Wednesday, said Brian Langford, the group's campus director.
Langford said the site is an MSU localization of a site provided by the national chapter of the group.
"We want every Spartan to learn more about God and (have) a place to have more information and their hard questions answered," he said.
Vickie VanHurley, visiting advertising instructor, said the group's strategy is part of a new wave of advertising. It's similar to brand awareness when companies use repeated images or messages for consumers to absorb — and to sell a product.
"It is something that is beginning to be used more often to kind of catch the consumer off guard," VanHurley said. "We are seeing some of the previous tactics not working. The consumer is more savvy when something is purely an ad or for more information."
Students from the group walked around campus dressed in animal suits wearing EverySpartan.com sashes and hand out cups printed with the Web site address. They also painted the rock and drew chalk messages on campus sidewalks Monday.
Computer science junior Mike Simons, an atheist, visited the Web site after he saw postings and said the concept is intriguing but unnecessary.
"I am a proponent of individual liberties — they have a right to do this," Simons said. Although he supports the idea of the Web site, he doesn't support its content.
"It's funny that you need to advertise for religion," Simons said. "It's like, come on, move into the 21st century."
Langford said some fliers posted on campus include information about the site, but the tactic of using the Web site address without more information wasn't meant to be deceiving.
"The last thing we want to do is offend people or make them mad," he said. "Enough religious groups have done that in the past. We just think there are a lot of people out there that want this information. If they don't want it they can get off. It's not like we are trying to get into their world."
Mechanical engineering sophomore Adam Grisdale said he saw chalking on the sidewalks but decided not to visit the site.
"People write on the sidewalks all the time," he said. "I usually ignore chalkings. Most of them are topics I don't care about."
Fisheries and wildlife senior Chelsea Stephen became familiar with the Web site by seeing the messages on sidewalks as well and said she had planned to check it out.
"I thought it may be another Facebook project but I haven't checked it out," she said. "I might get to it if I have free time, I like to surf the Internet when I am bored."
Elementary education senior Jennifer Block, who helped paint the rock, said she would be interested even if she wasn't a member of Campus Crusade for Christ.
"I don't think it would be on the forefront of my mind to go home and check it out, but that is enticing," she said. "It's not meant to force something. Following God is a choice. We wanted to make a resource available to those who may be interested."
