Ads set backdrop for invitation campaign during Lent

Southwest Texas radio listeners, TV viewers and motorists should notice lots of United Methodist messages over the next few weeks.
Radio commercials, television spots and billboards are intended to establish a media backdrop for Bring a Friend Sunday activities in Southwest Texas Conference congregations, said Douglas Cannon, communications and public witness director.
The advertising is designed to raise awareness of The United Methodist Church just before Bring a Friend Sunday (March 9), Palm Sunday (March 15) and Easter (March 23), he said.
The Southwest Texas Conference is running daily commercials from Feb. 27 through March 8 on five radio stations in Austin, five radio stations in Corpus Christi, three radio stations in the Rio Grande Valley and four stations in San Antonio.
These ads—part of a $300,000 regional campaign during 2008 approved by the 2007 annual conference session—are expected to reach half the radio listeners in each area about five times over two weeks.
These radio messages are to set the stage for Bring a Friend Sunday, Cannon said. That’s planned for March 9 or 16 in many congregations.
The General Commission on Communication in Nashville, Tenn., is buying 626 commercials on 10 national cable TV networks between March 10 and 22.
The Southwest Texas Conference is reinforcing the radio and TV messages with billboards in Corpus Christi, the Valley and San Antonio, Cannon said. Those signs are to be up through March.
All ads are part of the denom-inationwide Igniting Ministry hospitality and image campaign. All messages carry the tagline: “Open hearts, open minds, open doors. The people of The United Methodist Church.”
The United Methodist communication agency is helping the Southwest Texas Conference pay for the $101,000 in regional advertising.