Focus on the Family Takes Ad Blitz to Broncos Fans
After a tumultuous yet successful TV ad run during the 2010 Super Bowl, Focus on the Family will be rolling out a new ad campaign this weekend when the Denver Broncos open their preseason against the Cincinnati Bengals.
"[It] makes perfect sense for us to extend what we know was a successful approach because families watch football together," Gary Schneeberger, vice president of the prominent Christian ministry, told CBS4 News.
The ads will run on Colorado CBS affiliate channels during more than a dozen Broncos games, as reported by The Denver Post.
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And it so happens that the star of their previous commercial – Tim Tebow – is now playing for the Broncos.
When Focus announced early this year that it would be airing an ad during Super Bowl XLIV featuring Tebow, former quarterback for the Florida Gators, the ministry met some protest with pro-choice groups urging CBS to pull the ad.
The content of the Focus ad was never revealed before the big game but many speculated it would be an "anti-choice" commercial, which opponents said was inappropriate for the Super Bowl game.
It was known that Tebow's mother had refused to have an abortion while she was pregnant with him. Tebow's parents are both Christian missionaries.
Once the commercial aired, the debate died down.
Though it translated as a pro-life message, the Tebow ad did not contain any "anti-abortion" language and was light-hearted and playful. It simply celebrated life.
It also drew over a million visitors to the Focus on the Family website.
Within a month, there were some 1.6 million views of the complete interview Focus conducted with Tebow's parents, where they describe the complicated pregnancy and the birth and life of the now famous football player in more detail.
Focus is taking a similar strategy this time with the Colorado ads, refusing to disclose the details of the ad campaign.
Schneeberger did reveal, however, that the new ads will not feature Tebow.
The goal is to make more people aware of Focus on the Family and its services, he explained.
He also noted to The Denver Post that the ads will be covered by donations that were made for the project.
Focus on the Family has been experiencing a drop in monetary gifts in recent years and last month laid off 110 employees. Hundreds more had been let go in 2008.
Despite the cutbacks, the ministry said it is committed to serving families and helping them thrive.
