Church Ads Pull No Punches in Effort to Reach MTV Generation

Churches worried that the MTV generation is rocking ‘n’ rolling its way to hell are seeking converts with new ads warning that the party will end someday--maybe sooner than later.

In a parody of the “Got Milk?” ad campaign, one TV spot features a bungee jumper realizing mid-dive that no one has secured his cord. As he lands with a thud, the announcer asks “Got Jesus?” and a church phone number splashes across the screen.

In another spot, a young man dons a tuxedo as an announcer says, “All dressed up for the most important day of your life.” The camera pans back to reveal the man sitting in a coffin. It’s Judgment Day, not prom day, the ad suggests.

Shane Harwell, marketing director for Impact Productions, the Tulsa, Okla.-based nonprofit company that develops and sells the ads, said the messages may be stark, but they’re also effective.

“There was a very soft and tender side to Jesus, but Jesus also said, ‘If your eye causes you to sin, rip it out and throw it to the ground,’ ” Harwell said Monday. “We believe the church needs to be gentle and be caring, but we believe there are some people who would not respond to that message.”

The TV ads cost up to $20,000 to make and sell for about $800 for a package of three, Harwell said.

The Lee Highway Church of God in Chattanooga began airing the “Got Jesus?” and “All Dressed Up” ads last fall. Jerry Justice, associate pastor of the evangelical church, said it’s hard to measure the impact, but many people have told him they’ve seen the ads on MTV and the Weather Channel and liked them. The ads are bought on local station breaks of those national networks.

“The ads are pretty intense,” Justice said. “We want people to know that Christians have fun, too, and we thought it would be thought-provoking.”

The Word of Life Church in Wichita, Kan., began broadcasting “All Dressed Up” and other TV ads four years ago. It also uses billboards and radio shows to reach young people.

Since the campaign started, the nondenominational church has grown from 150 to 800 congregants.

An ad featuring a drug addict shooting up and Jesus with a spike through his hand has been particularly effective, said Robert Rotola, pastor of The Word of Life.

Harwell said churches must resort to in-your-face tactics to reach a generation numb to violence.

“How are you going to shock somebody who is into slam dancing or piercing their tongue?” he asked. “Some people complain about the ads, but then I look at what network TV is doing, and you have to laugh that people would even raise an eyebrow.”