Super Bowl Ads 2010 :: Should We Advertise Jesus?

The Super Bowl has become something so much bigger than a great game, great rivalry and great football.  It has become the de facto standard for big-ticket, big-money advertising.  Ask anyone and they’ll tell you about the strangeness of watching a great football game and not being able to “check-out” during the commercials for fear of missing the next great ad.  It is a unique television viewing experience, for sure!  And after an evening of taking in an extraordinary amount of very pricey advertising, I lied down for bed in recollection of which ad campaigns actually stuck.

1. Doritos – Their campaign focused on consumer-created hilarity…and all their ads were very funny and memorable.
2. Bud Light – Their campaign was, no surprise, all about fun and partying.  Many very funny ads.
3. Hyundai Sonata – Nothing flashy or funny or cutting edge…just a good-looking vehicle from a company making the move from mediocre manufacturer to premium car builder.  It made me turn my head more than once.

And that’s about it.  That was my take-away from all the ad blitz.  The first two companies were not offering any new product or pricing; they were simply attempting to get their product stuck in viewers’ minds, and it worked very well.  The Sonata took a different approach, offering a new vehicle style and build at a shockingly low price.  It really got my attention and made me think, “Maybe I’ll check that out sometime.”  In both cases, they got what they were searching for.  They made me, the consumer, give some of my precious brain time to their product…to the tune of millions of dollars.

All this made me think about those of us who follow Jesus.  In advertising, there is a basic goal in mind:  have something great, incite a desire to share it with others, and figure out how to do that in the most creative and impacting way possible.  Sounds familiar, right?

We, the body of Christ, have something better than great.  We have something that is not only life-saving, but life-changing.  We have the desire to share it built right in.  Now we just have to figure out how to share it creatively.  Pretty simple, right?

So why does it become such a chore to “share Jesus” with others?  Why is this such a hang-up for followers?  Is advertising the answer?  Billboards and signs and catchy jingles and commercials…are these viable ways to reach people with the life-giving message of the Gospel?

I don’t think so.  I think great products in the market place make a long-standing impact when their quality and value are proven over time.  When word-of-mouth sets in and takes hold, there’s no stopping it.  When people take something seriously, they are serious about sharing it with those they know.  I don’t think advertising is a reasonable answer to our dilemma because our advertisements usually don’t focus on Jesus or the power of His Spirit in us, they focus on us.  They focus on our church, our style of worship, our services, our staff, our needs, our childcare, our…our…our.  When is the last time you saw a Doritos commercial about the Kroger or Wal-Mart stores they are sold in?  When is the last time you saw a Bud Light commercial all about a restaurant that serves it?  Easy answer here:  you don’t and you won’t.  These companies are interested in talking about, promoting and touting their “great thing,” not those who house it.

Are you seeing the connection here?

Mass advertising isn’t the answer.  Making our gathering spaces more trendy and cool isn’t the answer.  Attempting to advertise Jesus as a product to be sold takes us nowhere.  People have heard it before.  They are searching for childcare, youth programs and smoke and lights in the sanctuary, but they are blind to what their actual need is.  That need is Jesus.  That need is the saving grace of the Gospel.  And we can put up signs and make a Facebook Fan Page for Jesus, but the truth is, people will respond when they see evidence of the Gospel in our lives.  Word-of-mouth will always be the way Jesus’ teachings will spread.  It’s always been that way and will always remain.  Big-time advertising is disconnected and distant.  The Good News is closer than your skin.  Ads try to get inside your head so the next time your in the market for their product, you choose a particular brand.  Jesus penetrates to your heart and soul, bringing the understanding that there is a void that exists in us all that only He can fill, and He’s the only one that can fill it!  And when that revelation comes, you really want to share it any way you can.

Maybe I’m off here.  I’m not sure.  I just know how I feel about advertising Jesus.  We do have a greatness to share, but how are we to do it effectively?  How do we do this the way Jesus instructed us to?  Is our fear of sharing with others a clear sign that we don’t fully grasp what He means to us and what He’s done for us?  How do we make disciples?  Can you do that by simply throwing info at people over a radio station or television?  The internet?  These are just my thoughts on it…

What are yours?

Related posts:

1. CBS’ Super Bowl Advertising Dilemma :: Who Draws the Lines, Anyway?
2. Small Pieces :: The Phenomenon of Community
3. God, Fortresses and Rocks :: A Reflection on Psalm 71