| LOUISVILLE —
Three television commercials being test-marketed in Colorado as
part of a new Presbyterian Church (USA) awareness campaign are
getting mixed reviews.
The three 30-second spots are the first part of a national-media
ad campaign being rolled out by the church. The target audience
is an ethnically diverse population of people ranging in age from
25 to 45.
The commercials all relate to the theme, “Here and Now,”
and present the PC(USA) as a spiritual alternative for men and
women not involved in church life.
From a rugby field to a hospital delivery room to a residential
rooftop, simple story lines convey the message that life’s
transitional phases are good times to seek spiritual and group
support through the PC(USA).
 (Click
here to view
the video.)
“It’s really difficult to determine what the cause
and effect of the commercials are, because people visit our churches
for various reasons and motivations,” said the Rev. Gary
R. Weaver, the executive presbyter of the Presbytery of Pueblo.
“They don’t always articulate the reasons for why
they stop in.”
In November, church officials began test-marketing the TV portion
of the ad campaign in Colorado Springs, CO, in Pueblo Presbytery.
The commercials, produced by the Red7e advertising agency in Louisville,
are scheduled for broadcast over local network affiliates until
mid-February.
The overall response has been more positive then negative, Weaver
said, and Presbyterians in the area are excited to see the church
trying to raise awareness of the denomination and reaching out
to a younger, more diverse crowd.
However, he said, they have received some criticism from people
who think they take too long to get around to identifying the
PC(USA) and don’t do enough to bolster local congregations.
“My observation was that the Presbyterian symbol was about
the only thing that identified that this was an ad for the Presbyterian
Church (USA),” Weaver said, “and it’s pretty
small. If we’re putting out all that money to try to raise
the visibility of the Presbyterian Church, in particular —
not just churches in general — we ought to be more clear
what church is putting out these advertisements.”
A denominational press release about the campaign noted that
the ads can be customized by congregations for local use. It said
the campaign will eventually include three radio spots and five
newspaper ads, in addition to the TV commercials, in media across
the nation.
In the rugby commercial, a player finds it increasingly difficult
to ignore the aches and pains that result from being thrown to
the ground by opposing players.
“One day, all of a sudden it hits you,” a narrator
says. “You’re 39, and you’re not invincible.
When you’re ready, there’s a church — here and
now.” For the last few seconds, the Presbyterian seal appears
onscreen, along with the tag line, “Here and Now.”
(Click
here to view
the video.)
The other commercials feature a woman giving birth and a young
male roofer working on a home.
“You believe in the land of opportunity,” the announcer
says in the roofer ad. “You believe in a better future for
yourself and your family. You believe that hard work has its rewards.
Guess what? Someone believes in you. When you’re ready,
there’s a church — here and now.”
(Click
here to view
the video.)
Weaver said some people like some of the ads better than others.
“Some like one over the other, and some respond actually
negatively to some of the ads,” he said. “I don’t
know what it is about the birth ad; women, in particular, don’t
seem to like it. The rugby ad and the roofer ... have gotten most
of the positive responses.”
The Rev. Jim Smith, executive minister of 5,000-member First
Presbyterian Church in Colorado Springs, believes the commercials
miss the mark.
“I feel like they missed the target population that is
missing in the Presbyterian Church (USA); that’s younger
adults,” he said. “It seems like to me that a major
population that is missing from our denomination was overlooked.”
Smith said he thinks the spots fall short in comparison to those
of other faith groups, but said he was pleased that the PC(USA)
is making the effort.
“When I look at what the Methodists have done, and the
Mormons, there’s no comparison to the quality of what they
did versus what we did,” Smith said. “In fact, the
logo, you had to get up close to the TV to even see what church
they were talking about. While I thought it was a good effort
over all, when I compare it ... to other religious organizations,
I don’t think it was the same kind of quality: the theme,
the way it was done, just everything. I think that (from) what
I’ve seen, even with the Mormons, theirs have been more
engaging.”
Bonnie Lake, the office manager at Monument Community Presbyterian
Church in Monument, CO, said she liked the ads, but also believed
the PC(USA) should have been identified earlier.
“The ads are almost over before I realize what it is,”
she said, “and I missed the first line or two, but the ending
has the Presbyterian cross and a good comment. ... It’s
almost like they needed to have something first that catches people’s
eyes. ... But over all, I think (the campaign) is wonderful.”
Colorado Springs, about 70 miles south of Denver, is considered
prime territory for sampling, partly because its diverse racial-ethnic
makeup and young-adult population match the target audience very
well. The Presbytery of Pueblo has 28 congregations and one new-church
development representing 9,415 Presbyterians in all, according
to Weaver.
Contributors to the campaign include staff from the denomination’s
National Ministries Division, Evangelism and Church Development,
Racial-Ethnic Ministries, Office of Communication, Congregational
Ministries Division, and the Office of Theology and Worship.
A program is being developed to help congregations make use of
the ads. The campaign is expected to be ready for churchwide distribution
by this summer’s 216th General Assembly in Richmond, VA.
Videos require Windows
Media Player 7.0
|
