The survey found that less than half of Super Bowl viewers (43%) said they had seen the commercial, but only 9% were able to recall the commercial without prompting. Of those who did see it, there seemed to be confusion as 20% of viewers were unable to venture any guess about the main message and only 14% of viewers identified Focus on the Family as the sponsor of the commercial. Among pro-choicers who saw and understood that the commercial was intended to influence their views on abortion, only 4% said it caused them to reconsider their stance.
“Super Bowl commercials are great for making people laugh and maybe even to convince them to purchase a product,” says Eastburn, “But we shouldn’t trust a Super Bowl commercial to change anyone’s life. Commercials just can’t do that. But people can.”
Eastburn is a leader with The Well, formerly a traditional Southern Baptist church that transitioned in 2005 to a network of home-based churches in California and Colorado.
He continues, “I’m glad that Focus on the Family is shifting their strategy from political process to changing hearts, that’s a step in the right direction. But if they think mass media is going to do the trick, they’re wrong. The lesson that we all learn is this: ending abortion is a matter of spreading the redemption offered through Jesus Christ to those who don’t know him. And that is a deeply personal process. It requires the people of God to reach out in personal love to others.”
The Well hosts 10-15 members at each of its five locations on a weekly basis. Eastburn and other members post their experiences on a blog maintained by the church, www.leavethebuildingblog.com, with the purpose of interacting with individuals from traditional and house church backgrounds.
(Source: Christian Newswire)