Well the new advertising for Christmas from ChurchAds is out. It is an interesting and arresting picture. The characters portrayed are shown in modern dress – Church Ads says of it:
This year we have a very simple but dramatic idea. To re-set the nativity in modern professions and high street fashions. Shepherds become cycle couriers and plasterers. Wise men are successful entrepreneurs and their gifts are iconic “treasures” of modern culture: a Swarovski crystal perfume bottle, a Faberge egg and a replica Damian Hirst skull. All are sharply dressed. But the traditional nativity arrangement is unchanged, with Jesus as its clear focus. And the message is compelling: “However you dress it up… Christmas Starts with Christ”.
There have, of course, been those who have been critical of it and would like a return to the twee versions of the nativity in the past. Peter Mullen writes in the Telegraph in a post by-lined “the teenage politics of the british churches are summed up by their pathetic christmas poster”
No doubt all this clodhopping heavy glitziness will be described as “ironic” and “prophetic”.
Well, I suppose we should all just enjoy a good giggle at the churches’ latest expedition into the land of idiocy. Except for one thing which troubles me deeply. The replacement Wise Men are cast as three successful entrepreneurs. And I worry as to how the church hierarchy will answer for this sign of conspicuous consumption and the virtues of capitalism when they next go to talk adolescent politics with their mates in the Occupy camp outside St Paul’s.
Peter Mullen has previous in this area.
Anyway, I have collected some of the past poster campaigns and the question is – which is your favourite and which your least favourite?
(Usual tip: Clicking on a picture gives you larger images that you can go through)
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- 2008 Be part of the action
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- 2005 Birth of a hero
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- 2010 He’s on his way
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- 2011 However you dress it up
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- 2003 – Go on ask him something for Christmas
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- 1991 Meek and Mild as if
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- 2007 – Want a second go at life?
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- 2006 – Where will you find him?
I like them all! Particularly like the beer glass from 2006, but my favourite is still the ‘Meek. Mild. As if’ from 1991. We used to have a print-out of that posted up in our loo for several years!
Well it is less controversial than the ones in New Zealand – see link!
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/newzealand/8957667/Virgin-Mary-billboard-sparks-outrage-in-New-Zealand.html
Sue, I saw that earlier and wondered whether to put it in. I thought that it was surprising that it was seen as so controversial. Suspect some it is to do with the church that displayed it (known for being controversial) and also the fact that Mary is not being shown as delighted.
I am not sure that this one is that controversial, but I think the one for which there is a link in the article which shows Mary and Joseph in bed does go more for the sensationalist approach, rather than a challenging approach. But, hey, anything that gets people talking about Christmas and what it is really all about cannot be a bad thing?