Features

Re-branding The C-Word

Jun 04 12:00am

World Youth Day will draw half a million young Catholics to Sydney in July, but for many other Australians, the church has become irrelevant. Can Jesus Christ become a superstar again? Melissa Field approached the country's top advertising agencies and asked them to sell salvation.

Watch Jackie Frank introduce the campaigns on Sunrise

AGENCY: McCann Sydney
CAMPAIGNS: It All Begat With God; Pin Up
CREATIVE TEAM: Sarah Keene and Brendan Willenberg; David Heytman

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AGENCY: The Campaign Palace, Melbourne
CAMPAIGNS: Facebook Page; Miracles Are Still Happening
CREATIVE TEAM: Subha Naidu; Ben Birchall and Shane Dawson

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AGENCY: Leo Burnett, Sydney
CAMPAIGNS: Got Faith?; Generation Y NOT?
CREATIVE TEAM: Phu Nguyen and Alan Nowak; Chris Mitchell and Wayne Crosby

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AGENCY: I.D.E.A.S., Sydney
CAMPAIGNS: Sorry '08
CREATIVE TEAM: Max Landrak, Lisa Cainero and Adrian Leppard

View the campaigns

Which campaign do you think is most effective? Leave your comments below!

16 Comments Report Abuse

1. atarisataris - Jun 04 05:21pm

I think "Sorry '08" is a great, inclusive campaign. Meanwhile Snoop Dogg might divide the generations a bit!

2. outbackriders@y7mail.com - Jun 04 05:26pm

The Miracles are still happening campaign. I think Aussies don't see more miracles because we're so self sufficient. I've been a place in the past where I saw God miraculously supply me food. Nowadays I just reach for my Visa card if I'm short. I'm a non church-going bible believing Bush Baptist!

3. rachelleswiney - Jun 04 09:02pm

Without a doubt - Got Faith? The others feel as though the creative don't seem to respect the history of the religion and almost feel as though they are mocking it. Also, celebs are silly self centred and shallow - why would religion want to associate itself with these traits?

4. rob.nieboer - Jun 05 08:25am

Why work on a campaign to persuade people to believe in the unbelievable? Leave people alone.

5. fionamsimmonds - Jun 05 09:24am

A Facebook page? I have Charles Xavier from X-Men on my friend list but that doesn't make me want to believe he actually exists. The Sorry campaign is a nice idea though!

6. jadewarne - Jun 05 01:46pm

Pin up is AWESOME. It dares to play with Christianity in a way that the others don't. BTW, I love the idea behind this feature. Involving advertising companies takes away the seriousness and mysticism shrouding religion and shows it for exactly what it is: a service, just like any other.

7. shellyork96 - Jun 05 04:04pm

The "got faith" campaign is best as it is non offensive to anyone including christians (which I am). It challenges peoples thinking about the bigger things in life which should have more thought put into rather than minor everyday things.

8. shirley_sutandhio - Jun 05 06:11pm

I like the Sorry 08. I reckon those one is fit more.

9. stoned_camel - Jun 05 07:12pm

I love the got faith campaign - but I'd love to have some of these images in a higher resolution so we can see them better.

10. donitacameron - Jun 06 09:21am

The ideas are great, mainly the "Sorry 08" and "Got Faith?". But if you don't show that faith in works then the God is not real to anyone take rob.nieboer for instance. God has probably not been shown to him tangibly. Seek and you shall find...