A recent USA Today got me thinking. Perhaps there’s a new way for us to promote Laity Lodge . . . by branding food with our logo.

According to the article by Bruce Horovitz, “NBA cooks up edible logos to make mark on pizza and toast,” the National Basketball Association signed a licensing deal with companies that sell things like pizza and toasters. This means, for an extra five bucks, you can order your pizza with an NBA image emblazoned on the top. Woo-hoo! All that for only five bucks extra!!

Explaining the lure of the new pizzas, Rick Ellison, the licensee who makes Pizza Fest Edible Image toppings, said, “Most Americans don’t make it to an NBA game. This is how
they create the experience for themselves.” Ah, yes. Now I get it. Or maybe not. I’ve eaten plenty of pizza in my life, and I’ve attended a half-dozen NBA games, and I can promise you that eating a pizza with a San Antonio Spurs logo on is not quite the same as watching Tim Duncan “in-the-flesh” sinking a shot. Not even close. (Photo: Tim Duncan gets ready to shoot, with Yao Ming of the Houston Rockets looking on.)

But there’s more than just pizza. Starting next month, you can buy NBA Pro Toast Toasters. For only $34.99, they’ll make your morning toast with your favorite team logo toasted right on the bread!! The licensee of the toaster notes, “It’s a fun way to get kids to eat healthier.” Good point, because surely kids won’t want to cover up their favorite team’s logo with butter or jam.

As I was reading the USA Today article, I kept checking my watch. No, it isn’t April Fool’s Day. And Rick Astley didn’t pop out of nowhere singing “Never Gonna Give You Up.” I guess the NBA is serious about this new promotional scheme. I can’t wait to see where those NBA logos will end up next. (Note: If you didn’t understand the Rick Astley comment, then you don’t have teenagers at home. More info here, if you’re curious.)

But then I got to thinking. We’re always trying to think of new and creative ways to help folks discover Laity Lodge, the retreat center where I work. We emphasize the extraordinary beauty of the location, its peacefulness and serenity. We talk about the world-class speakers and musicians we have at our retreats. But what about Laity Lodge pizzas? Never thought of that before. Just think how many people would get excited about Laity Lodge once they saw our logo on their pizza! If, when you ordered a pepperoni pizza at your local pizza joint, you got something like what’s pictured above (yes, that’s the Laity Lodge logo), wouldn’t you want to visit Laity Lodge! Think of the possibilities.