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Posted on 01/21/2005 4:38:06 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
NEW YORK (Talon News) -- Rock music magazine Rolling Stone rejected an ad on Wednesday for a new Bible translation designed to reach "spiritually intrigued 18- to 34-year-olds" because it was deemed too religious.
Zondervan, the largest Bible publisher in the United States, was hoping to purchase space in the popular secular magazine to attract their target consumers for the new "Today's New International Version of the Bible," which is due to hit bookstores in February.
Doug Lockhart, who serves as the executive vice president of marketing for Zondervan, said he purchased the ad in Rolling Stone last July in preparation for the campaign to promote this new Bible.
"We were surprised and certainly disappointed that Rolling Stone had changed their mind and rejected our ad," Lockhart told the Associated Press.
Kent Brownridge, the general manager for Rolling Stone's parent company Wenner Media, said the Zondervan ad "doesn't quite feel right in the magazine."
"The copy is a little more than an ad for the Bible," Brownridge explained to USA Today.
He added, "It's a religious message that I personally don't disagree with."
But he said since there is "a spiritual message in the text," the ad would not be allowed to appear in Rolling Stone, because "we are not in the business of publishing advertising for religious messages."
"It's hard to have a policy that covers every conceivable product," Brownridge continued to USA Today when asked why the magazine granted Zondervan permission to advertise.
Talon News was unable to find any policy against "religious messages" on the Rolling Stone web site on Thursday.
Lockhart said he offered to change the ad, but Rolling Stone would not permit him to do so and refused to provide any written policy banning religious messages from appearing in Rolling Stone ads.
Lockhart said the ad does not even mention the name of God and features a young male looking intently at a Bible.
"In a world of almost endless media noise and political spin, you wonder where you can find real truth," the ad reads. "Well, now there's a source that's accurate, clear and reliable. It's the TNIV - Today's New International Version of the Bible. It's written in today's language, for today's times - and it makes more sense than ever."
Despite Rolling Stone's rejection of this ad, Lockhart said it will be featured in other media formats, including Modern Bride magazine, The Onion, MTV.com, VH-1 and America Online.
Zondervan is still disappointed their ad will not be featured in Rolling Stone as part of its $1 million blitz to reach an audience that is not accustomed to seeing an ad for a Bible.
"Our mission is more people engaging the Bible more, and Rolling Stone was a perfect fit for the group we want to reach," Lockhart explained to USA Today. "This rejection underscores the challenge we face."
Lockhart states Zondervan will not pursue any legal action against Rolling Stone for rejecting their ad and is still hopeful they will reconsider their decision.
"We were excited about it," Lockhart told Christian Retailing magazine. "We were surprised and disappointed when they changed their mind last week."
The TNIV is the first update of the New International Version, the world's bestselling English translation of the Bible, since 1978. The new language and interpretation is meant to appeal better to the younger generation of Bible readers.
Copyright © 2005 Talon News -- All rights reserved.
Hmmm, what are they planning on doing in the afterlife??
Rock and Roll PING! email Weegee to get on/off this list (or grab it yourself to PING the rest)
They're probably worried that some young hippie-dippie types will actually get the idea that there is such a thing as right and wrong - and we can't have that, can we?
Huh? The only people who read Rolling Stone are 50+, as far as I know.
The strangest things pass for proof in your world.
You're looking at this far too reasonably. I'm afraid that few in this thread will heed your logic, but will instead flock like moths to a flame to the more bellicose ideas.
I read it, and I'm probably the same age as your aunts and uncles.
Ha! I read it and I'm only 41.
It is completely within their rights to not publish this ad. Did anyone here, or anywhere for that matter, ever have any illusions that the editors of Rolling Stones were closet Chiristians. As far as some comments that say that this should be exposed and made public...
It is exposed and public, as evidenced by this article. If you want your friends to know, tell them, but making a huge deal of this, or trying to get the MSM to make it a big story. None of that accomplishes anything useful.
Exactly. Kids don't read Rolling Stone. It's the magazine for boomers trying to stay hip.
" Their rag is cowardly, dishonest, pretentious garbage while it's content caters to the orgaistic, drug, homo, leftist culture" . Yea, tell us something we don't know ..It used to be a music mag wayy wayy back when ..It has ZERO to do with music anymore..Havent looke dat one in 20 yers I bet ..RAG
Of course you're right.
I was just reminding the poster just who and what he was defending. And besides -- the mini-rant felt good...
Btw, I don't think the 'Rolling Stone' has been about music since Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show sang about it ;-)
Hasn't everyone heard? Cursing and rock music is in. "Spiritual intrique" is out. </sarc>
No way. Next thing you know, we'll all live long and prosper...
of course a christian organization would want to advertise in rolling stone. Christians need to be exactly where the sinners are thats how you reach them
So why then don't Christian organizations advertize in porno magazines?
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