10661: Why Doesn’t God Banish Hypocrites From Adland?

 

The He Gets Us campaign has been addressed by this blog before, mostly to note the hypocrisy of its appearance at sites like adweek.com. After all, declaring, “Jesus fought systems of oppression,” to an industry and audience firmly dedicated to systemic racism seems tone deaf at best and offensive at least.

 

The advertiser aired a commercial during the Super Bowl too.

 

Now, what makes this so outrageous? The advertising agency responsible for the Jesus spot also produced the Avocados from Mexico commercial—which ran on the Super Bowl as well—featuring Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.

 

In short, only in Adland can shops hype Jesus Christ and parody Holy Scripture without missing a beat.

16094: Deception, Dishonesty, And Duplicity Of Biblical Proportions.

 

Banners for Jesus continue to appear at adweek.com and proclaim, “Jesus fought systems of oppression,” as well as, “Jesus confronted racism with love.” Okay, but it is written that he also hated hypocrites and expelled wicked scoundrels.

 

If he encountered the systemic racism and bona fide bigots infesting Adland, what would Jesus do?

 

16090: To Find Jesus, Click Here…?

Why is this banner for Jesus running on adweek.com? The responsible creative team is probably praying to win awards…? Jesus.

15783: Jesus Is Risen From The Dead, Er, Depressed…

 

Wonder how many people did a double take when viewing this online advertisement for Trintellix, thinking it was a Lenten biblical reference…

15414: Maître d' Messiah…?

 

Fogo de Chão uses Jesus to feed the masses—with social distancing, of course.

14314: Crucifying DDB.

DDB Georgia is responsible for this ad, which states that insomnia is not a cross you must bear…? Jesus.

12338: Jesus Christ, Mother London.

In a colossal collision of cultural cluelessness and Corporate Cultural Collusion, Mother London claims that Jesus has appointed the White advertising agency as his Global AOR. Merry Christmas.

The self-absorbed self-promotion includes a video featuring a Nike-wearing actor portraying Jesus strolling through London, along with the hashtag #ifoundjesusinlondon. Plus, people are encouraged to share Jesus moments on Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr.

This really begs the question, “What would Jesus do?”

Don’t mean to come off as a pre-transformed Scrooge, but what the hell was Mother London thinking here? Would the narcissistic desire to gain attention for oneself—via a hackneyed example of shockvertising—gain approval from Jesus? Would the Son of God have issues being associated with a firm that reflects an industry where exclusivity reigns and diversity is a dream deferred and denied? Jesus did voice strong opinions on hypocrites and liars after all.

Granted, it’s not right to judge others. On the flip side, it’s been argued that Jesus was/is a protestor of wrongdoings and injustice.

So maybe at a minimum, let us pray for Mother London and the advertising industry—as well as ourselves—during the holiday season.

12029: Jesus Didn’t Walk On Water…?

Jesus Christ, NZ Boardstore, this ad should get you paddled by Catholic school nuns.

From Ads of the World.

11887: Holy Shit, Rolling Stone.

Jesus, Rolling Stone is pathetic.

From Ads of the World.

11642: Jesus, Megyn Kelly Is Ignorant.

From The New York Daily News…

Fox News’ Megyn Kelly declares Jesus and Santa were white

Kelly causes a stir with on-air response to Slate article on Santa Claus

By Corky Siemaszko / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Megyn Kelly is dreaming of a white Christmas.

The Fox News star has stepped into a holiday hornet’s nest by insisting on her show that both Jesus and Santa Claus were white — and that anybody who believes otherwise needs to get over it.

“For you kids watching at home,” Kelly said during her prime-time show on Wednesday, “Santa just is white. But this person is arguing that maybe we should also have a black Santa.”

Then Kelly, a Fox franchise player, dug herself in further by saying that Santa couldn’t be anything but Caucasian because he’s like Jesus.

“Just because it makes you feel uncomfortable doesn’t mean it has to change,” Kelly said. “You know, I mean, Jesus was a white man, too.”

Kelly was reacting to a Slate.com piece by Aisha Harris, who had made the case that maybe, as the U.S. becomes more diverse, it was time to “ditch Santa the old white man altogether, and embrace Penguin Claus.”

“People love penguins,” Harris wrote.

There was no immediate response from Kelly to the uproar, but a Fox News spokeswoman said she would address the controversy on her Friday broadcast. She was ill Thursday.

While it is true that both Jesus and Santa Claus have been depicted by European painters as white for centuries, many scholars say the historical figures probably weren’t the kind of white that would have passed muster with a segregated 1950s golf club.

Jesus was a Jew born in Bethlehem, a Semitic town in what is now the West Bank.

And the New Testament does not describe his appearance.

The historical St. Nicholas is believed to have been a Greek bishop living in what’s now Turkey, two countries where fair-skinned blondes like Kelly aren’t as common as they are in, say, Sweden.

The jolly, red-cheeked figure we’ve come to know as Santa Claus appears to be a melding of the Father Christmas figure from England and the Dutch Sinterklaas.

Sinterklaas’ sidekick, however, is Zwarte Piet, or Black Pete, a figure some complain is a relic from Holland’s racist past that should be retired.

11416: What Would Jesus Wear?

Wouldn’t he also wear carpenter pants?

From Ads of the World.

10794: Jesus Christ, Obama Artist!

Here’s yet another creative type going straight to hell—and that’s the truth.

10775: Preaching To The Drunken Choir.

Church End Brewery invites you to wash away your sins—with booze. Add the people responsible for this campaign to the growing list of blasphemous marketers going straight to hell.

From Ads of the World.

10760: Jesus Christ, McCann!

Memo to creative team at McCann Erickson in Lithuania: You’re also going straight to hell—in style.

From Ads of the World.

10756: Jesus Christ, Ukraine!

Memo to Ukraine International Airlines: You’re also getting a one-way trip to hell.

From Ads of the World.

10625: Jesus Christ, Ogilvy!

Memo to the creative team at Ogilvy in New Zealand: You’re all going straight to hell for this one, mates.

From Ads of the World.

9299: What Would Jesus Dial?

Advertising Age reported the U.K. Advertising Standards Authority banned a campaign from mobile phone seller Phones4U that depicted Jesus Christ hawking products. Ironically, the ad agency behind the work is Adam and Eve London. Phones4U argued against the ASA, insisting it presented “a light-hearted, positive and contemporary image of Christianity.” But the enterprise quickly backpedaled, later saying it “understood and regretted” that the ad offended folks. Um, shouldn’t they really be asking Jesus for forgiveness?

7768: What Would Jesus Do In Portugal?

From The New York Daily News…

Playboy to cut ties with Portugal edition over 'shocking' photos of Jesus Christ with topless models

By Catey Hill, Daily News Staff Writer

Playboy is known for pushing boundaries, but a recent move by its Portuguese arm may have pushed those boundaries too far. Way, way too far, a spokeswoman for Playboy reveals.

The July edition of Playboy in Portugal features a cover with a topless, tattooed model being held by Jesus Christ. Inside, it includes more spreads of Jesus surrounded by nude women.

The photos were supposed to be a tribute to “The Gospel According to Jesus Christ,” a novel written by Jose Saramago about Christ’s life.

But Playboy headquarters didn’t quite see them like that, denouncing the shoot as “shocking.”

“We did not see or approve the cover and pictorial in the July issue of Playboy Portugal,” Theresa Hennessy, vice president of public relations at Playboy, told the UK’s Daily Mail.

“It is a shocking breach of our standards and we would have not allowed it to be published if we had seen it in advance,” she added.

Playboy intends to sever relations with Frestacom-Lisbon Media Publishing, the Portuguese subsidiary responsible for that shoot.

“We are in the process of terminating our agreement with the Portuguese publisher,” Hennessey told the paper.

Essay 4565

Driven to drink in a MultiCultClassics Monologue…

• A new Israeli wine targeting American Christians presents images of Jesus on the label. The Grapes of Galilee claims to be made from grapes originating in the place where Jesus allegedly lived, with water from the Jordan River. Actually, it would be more impressive if the product were bottled water that turns into wine.

• The Second Coming of Don Imus is scheduled for December 1, when the fired shock jock will reportedly join WABC. Jesus Christ.