Driving from the Gold Coast to Brisbane I see a billboard placed strategically across from the Beenleigh Tavern by local Christians. The sign says “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Read Your Bible”. This last month the sign has been supplemented by another billboard, advertising clothes. What do you think?
Tags: Advertising, church marketing, Humour, Photography
Pizza ads are spoofing God in Auckland this week. According to a report in AdNews Australia, Hell Pizza has launched an outdoor campaign spoofing the global phenomenon that is Godspeak, the portal proudly selling God.
Billboards and print ads from the global campaign, Godspeak, appeared in Auckland over the last six months. Godmarks, the New Zealand branch of Godspeak, featured ads that had their own sense of humour. “I love everyone. Even Christians. God.” “Every day I get more prayer for car parks than anything else. You people need to start thinking bigger. God.” One has “Contrary to popular belief, I don’t hate anyone who’s gay. Jesus”.
Now it’s the turn of national fast food franchise Hell Pizza to put up their billboards, some in the same places.
Instead of “I was just thinking about you’ - God” and “I miss how you used to talk to me when you were a kid” - God, Aucklanders are seeing, “I like the way you talk to me when you’re drunk” - The guy from Hell, and “How do you know He is listening? At least I deliver” - The guy from Hell.
The Hell Pizza web site opens with an invitation to choose a Hell Hole - a location in New Zealand where Hell Pizza operates. TV Spots feature a demon muttering curses as it eats pizza.
I’d be curious to hear how New Zealanders are responding to both campaigns…
Tags: Advertising, church marketing, NZ
The Churches Advertising Network in the UK have come out with another poster campaign based on the revolutionary Jesus image. Around the UK people will be seeing red posters with the image of a baby’s face superimposed on the Che Guevara portrait.
The text at the bottom: “Dec 25th. Revolution Begins. Celebrate the Birth of a Hero. Jesus? Txt Hero or Zero to 81025 or visit www.rejesus.co.uk”
The Jesus/Che Guevara poster from Easter 1999 was CAN’s most celebrated image. Now the revolutionary Jesus appears as an infant.
CAN’s explanation:
“We proclaim the saviour who would change the world.
Just as in the “meek mild as if” campaign, we declare that Jesus was not “a wimp in a white nighty”. This campaign shows the potential of the infant son of God.”
When people text their response (hero or zero) to 81025, they receive a text back thanking them for taking part and pointing to the hellojesus website for more information.
[eminimall products="Che Guevara"]
And why is the poster modelled on Che Guevara?
“A challenging face, a hero, a real revolutionary. It’s Jesus who changed the world, not Che. And it’s not “gentle Jesus, meek and mild” - it’s modelled on the unmistakable image of Jesus with the crown of thorns”.
David Kunzle, art historian at UCLA and author of “Che Guevara - Icon Myth and Message
The Churches’ Advertising Network describes themselves as an independent ecumenical group of Christian communicators which exists to provide high quality national Christian advertising campaigns, especially around major festivals, and to provide the means for local churches to share in and receive the benefit of such national campaigns. They don’t consult widely before coming out with their advertising campaigns - which usually means that there’s plenty of discussion among church leaders in the weeks after the campaign begins.
www.churchads.org.uk/Christmas2005.html
Tags: Advertising, Art, Christmas, church marketing, Spirituality
