The United Church of Christ's new advertising campaign kicks off tomorrow with a press conference. Visit this site and Street Prophets tomorrow morning for coverage of the press conference - and for the announcement of a new project the UCC will be launching. Until then check out this article from United Church News for an update on the preparations:
Written by J. Bennett Guess
Friday, 24 March 2006
The UCC's national staff in Cleveland gathered in the Amistad Chapel on Friday morning for a pep rally of sorts in anticipation of the UCC's unveiling of its new TV ad on Monday. For many staff members, it was their first opportunity to preview the 30-second commercial before it will be released to wider audiences.
A press conference is scheduled for Monday, March 27, at 10 a.m. to release the ad, which will appear on multiple cable networks starting one week later, April 3. It will be the UCC's third national ad run and, for the first time, the UCC's commercial will appear in Spanish on the Teledmundo and Univision networks.
"Ejector seat" -- as the ad is called -- will be available for viewing at <ucc.org> at approximately 10 a.m. on Monday, just as the news conference gets underway.
Sporting fashionable, sporty or downright silly hats -- as part of the celebratory mood of Friday morning's gathering -- about 100 staff members attended the preview session at the UCC's Church House, where UCC General Minister and President John H. Thomas said the joyful tone was fitting, given the church's widespread anticipation of the new ad.
"We give thanks for this moment of celebration," Thomas said during the occasion's opening prayer. "May this morning encourage and inspire us."
Thomas pointed out that, in the coming weeks, the appointed lectionary texts include a Gospel story where people are heard saying, "We have come to see Jesus."
"That's really what this ad campaign is all about," Thomas said. "People are anxious to see Jesus."
That's why, Thomas said, it's important that UCC churches and members ready themselves with Christ-like hospitality in anticipation of those who visit our congregations during the Lent and Easter seasons.
Ron Buford, director of the Stillspeaking Initiative, said the new ad will air on "CNN, Discovery, A&E, all the major cable networks." A complete schedule of when and where the ad will be appear will be available online by April 3, once the last-minute ad-buy details are complete, Buford said.
Fund raising continues, with the hope of extending the ad run for a total of six weeks or until Mother's Day.
A cadre of "web deacons" -- many of whom are retired UCC clergy -- have been trained and will be ready to answer inquiries at <stillspeaking.com> as well as tend to any pastoral needs that arise during the ad run.
"This is an exciting time and exciting things are getting ready to happen," Buford told the staff gathering.
