Here We Are Now, Entertain Us

Church Marketing Sucks — which, despite its title, is actually a very pro-Christian-advertising blog devoted to making church self-promotion more effective, more graceful, less…sucky — reports approvingly on two recent marketing schemes employed by Westwinds Community Church in Jackson, Michigan. First, listed under “examples,” was the church’s “Porn Weekend!!!!” campaign, (okay, exclamation points ours), which, though in reality was only the screening of an anti-porn documentary and related presentation, was successfully hyped with three billboards that gave only the church’s website address, the dates of the event, and the blazing false promise of a Porn Weekend. If that won’t bring ’em to the church, what will? Maybe pleasing church smells, Westwinds’ second, more subtle ploy for your devotion. According to CMS, which files the olfactory campaign under “Building Design,” Westwinds has a committee dedicated to what the church should smell like because, as all successful marketers know, it’s the little things that define an experience like getting to know God: the lighting, the tiles, the brand of incense or mothballs scenting the air…