Churches across Notts are being asked to support a new Christmas poster campaign from Churchads.net which re-casts the nativity scene with trendy twenty somethings, designer fashions and luxury gifts.

In the poster the shepherds are represented by a cycle courier and plasterer. The Wise men are shown as three 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 ‘However you dress it up.... Christmas Starts with Christ’. 

The image, which features clothing from shops including Topman, Zara and Donna Karan, was photographed by Max Oppenheim, a prominent London based photographer who has shot campaigns for clients such as Paul Smith, Max Mara and Virgin. The poster already has the support of key church leaders, including the Archbishop of York, and partners such as Premier Christian Media and The Jerusalem Trust.

The Bishop of Southwell & Nottingham, the Rt Revd Paul Butler, welcomed the campaign, he said: “Perhaps the ‘dream goods’ and designer clothes featured in this Christmas advert will raise questions about what we really do value in our society. Are we a society that is obsessed with the latest phone, pair of shoes or crystal gifts designed to impress, or are is there a deeper truth? Christians need to be re-telling the story of his birth in ways which engage creatively and positively. I hope this image will do just that reminding people, in the middle of a season of spending, that Christmas Starts with Christ.”

Mike Elms, from ChurchAds.net, said: “This year we have a very simple but dramatic idea by showing the meeting of Christianity and high street consumerism, with Christ in the middle. With recent events in the UK and with millions of people heading for shopping centres in the final few days before Christmas, there will be no better time to remind people that, behind all the consumerism-Christmas Starts with Christ.”

National Christmas Advertising fund
To maximise the impact of the message, ChurchAds.net is asking individuals and churches to make a donation to a National Christmas Advertising fund. The aim is to raise enough money to cover the placing of posters at bus stops, buy airtime for specially commissioned radio ads, and for the first time ever buy colour ads in national and regional newspapers.

Mike Elms said: “Last year we took the Christmas Starts with Christ message to 30 million people. We want to build on that and for the first time ever we are hoping to place ads in regional and national newspapers. Imagine the effect of the image as a colour  advertisement in, say, the Daily Mail and Sunday Mirror, exposing an additional 8 million people to the message. It would be like sending 40 million Christian ‘Christmas cards’ to the nation.”

Any individual or church can donate to the National Christmas Ad Fund by visiting www.christmasstarts.com

The Archbishop of York welcomed the image, saying, “We know from research that only 12% of adults, and only 7% of people aged between 18-24, know the Christmas story.  As Christians we want to keep Christmas focused on Christ, by retelling the story in a way which engages creatively and positively with people’s interests.   Christmas starts with Christ.  This is the message which I hope our congregations across the country will be sharing with their neighbours and friends in the coming months. This poster is one way of showing that Christ is at the centre of the story for all people.”

Preview the Adverts here.

Advert 1

Advert 2