http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,16654819%5E28737,00.html
The atheist who's Selling Jesus
Roy Eccleston
September 20, 2005
ANGUS Kinnaird has advised some big brands - the Sydney Olympics, the
Melbourne Commonwealth Games, Telstra and Brand Australia to name a few
- but admits he has rarely had an assignment so tough.
"I've had lots of clients wanting to update their image," says the
Melbourne strategy director of FutureBrand. "But I don't think I've ever
come across one that has quite as many problems as the church."
....
So Kinnaird, who helped with a World Vision campaign to make foreign
tragedy more relevant to ordinary Australians, was invited to help. And
he brought an unusual perspective. He's an atheist or, as he prefers, a
non-believing humanist.
Now, after two years' research and planning, a multi-denominational
group of Australian churches led by the Bible Society of NSW has begun
to fight back.
The new marketing strategy keeps the church, the Bible and religion well
out of the picture. Instead, the spotlight falls on just one star. Jesus
is played not as the son of God but a tough-talking no-nonsense
philosopher who makes life easier and, incidentally, eternal.
....
Why Jesus? "That was the only place we had to go," Kinnaird says. The
research shows that the church is almost an insurmountable obstacle to
the campaign. "The church was seen as the problem, not the solution," he
says.
....
"The classic line is that the church is hopeless but Jesus is cool,"
says Martin Johnson, communications manager of the NSW Bible Society.
....
Kinnaird admits he remains to be convinced, despite his work on the
strategy. "No," he says. "But, then, I've also done Crown Casino and I'm
not a regular gamer, so I can feel comfortable one way or another, can't
I?"
.
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