A Christian group is spending up to one billion dollars on a new campaign to promote Jesus Christ and the values they believe he held.
The “He Gets Us” campaign, which has already started appearing online via billboards and airwaves across the nation, most recently during NFL playoff games, with the goal of presenting Jesus in a new light to Millennials and Gen Z, has now set its sights on Superbowl advertising. The Super Bowl is the most watched television broadcast in the United States every year.
Religion News reports that this year’s Super Bowl will feature a $20 million pair of pro-Jesus ads promoting the idea that Jesus ‘gets us,’ part of the larger ‘He Gets Us’ campaign. Organizers hope to spend a billion dollars in the next three years to redeem Jesus’ brand.
According to Christianity Today, the funds for He Gets Us come from The Servant Christian Foundation, a nonprofit backed by a Christian donor-advised fund called The Signatry. (Christianity today says both declined to name the donors who helped envision and pay for He Gets Us, who want to remain anonymous.)
David Green, the billionaire co-founder of Hobby Lobby, is however one of the confirmed donors.
Donor-advised funds are popular with evangelical investors who want to make large gifts without setting up their own private foundations. Wealthy clients invest with The Signatry, which will then either manage the money in an investment fund or help them find nonprofits to support. So far, The Signatry has given away over $3 billion from Christian philanthropists.
Last year, The Servant Christian Foundation approached Bill McKendry, founder and chief creative officer at Haven, concerned that too many young Americans are leaving Christianity and that more people were growing hostile toward faith. Their idea: a national media blitz for Jesus at a scale that no single church could afford.
And hence the He Gets Us campaign is flush with cash to make the name of Jesus famous across the earth.
According to the He Gets Us website, “This all started with a diverse group of people passionate about the authentic Jesus of the Bible. While much has been said about him, much is still misunderstood. But we’re confident that as people clearly understand, read, and learn for themselves about who Jesus is, they’ll find wisdom, hope, and peace unlike any other offered.
“Be assured, though, that we’re not “left” or “right” or a political organization of any kind. We’re also not affiliated with any particular church or denomination. We simply want everyone to understand the authentic Jesus as he’s depicted in the Bible — the Jesus of radical forgiveness, compassion, and love.
“It wouldn’t be hard to guess that we’re led by Jesus fans and followers. People who believe he was much more than just a good guy and a profound teacher. And that Jesus is the son of God, who came to Earth, died, and was resurrected, then returned to heaven and is alive today. We also have included many voices in our work here — welcoming diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences to help us address the many concerns and issues we all face.”
Organizers have also signed up 20,000 churches to provide volunteers to follow up with anyone who sees the ads and asks for more information. Those churches are not, however, he said, funding the campaign.
Danielle Jarvis
Soul Purpose
Matthias Browning
