Stillspeaking’s ad buy postponed until March
Written by J. Bennett Guess
Thursday, 03 November 2005

Despite a last-minute surge in contributions from churches and individuals – along with some hefty financial leverage from national ministries – the UCC’s plan for a $2 million national advertising buy in Advent has been put on hold until the Lenten/Easter season.

The decision was characterized as "disappointing" by General Minister and President John H. Thomas during an evening conference call on Nov. 2 with leaders of the UCC’s five distinct governing boards. Thomas said the UCC’s five-person Collegium of Officers had met earlier that day and felt it better to postpone the extensive ad buy for three months rather than push ahead despite some unanswered financial questions.

Read the rest of this article.

Stillspeaking Quick News - 11/8/05
Winners All Around!

Great News #1
Gotham and the United Church of Christ have won the prestigious Association of National Advertisers 5th Annual Award for Multicultural Excellence for "the Bouncers" ad and The Stillspeaking Initiative campaign. Our award, in the General Market category, "recognizes the efforts of a corporate marketer for [an] outstanding multicultural advertising campaign." The field is all major corporate advertisers, from Coca Cola to General Motors, nationally and internationally.

The church has been given this Multicultural Excellence Award because we didnt take a brand and make it multicultural, we took multicultural and made it a brand. This is the essence of non-conformity with the world.

"This award is a victory for every person who contributed to this effort. Every nickel donated, every minute given makes all of us partners in this work. (Ron Buford)

You might have heard of the two other finalists -- Microsoft and MasterCard. The award is given after viewing the ad and a presentation to the Multicultural Excellence Conference. Advertising people present from around the nation vote, on the spot. And they picked us.

Of course the real winners are . . . the members and friends of the United Church of Christ. Congratulations!

Great News #2
Who's getting the Bouncers?

It's official! The bouncers will be visiting . . .

Congregational UCC in Douglas, MI
Country Club Congregational UCC in Kansas City, MO
Little River UCC in Annandale, VA

Congratulations!

We asked Stillspeaking churches to help fund the Advent TV run. The top 3 churches in each of 3 categories, based on operating expenses, would win a prize. First prize: a visit from the Bouncers from our original TV commercial.

Special appreciation and a prize also go to the 2nd and 3rd place churches in each category.
Second Prize
Community Church UCC in Atascadero, CA
Evangelical UCC in Highland, IL
Plymouth Congregational UCC in DesMoines, IA

Third Prize
Community Christian UCC in Rochester, NY
First Church UCC in Oberlin, OH
Coral Gables Congregational UCC in Coral Gables, FL

Congratulations everybody! Thank you for being pace setters in your community and in the United Church of Christ.

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