Focus on the Family Could Have Done Better

Im a big fan of F.O.F. and I did like the ad,though it was generic .,if it gets you to their site then it worked.Ive heard a lot people talking about it so I guess it worked

Hmmm... people that didn't already know about Focus on the Family? People that didn't listen to Dobson for years?

I'm sure that people are talking about it, but did anyone listen to the Tebow's story? Did it touch anyone who was considering an abortion and has since changed their mind?

That's what I'm interested in...

I've never liked focus on the family or Dobson. Probably never will. But one of the main reasons is they talk in Christianese like you said. When I saw that Ad I was kind of shocked, because I thought this is what people made a big deal about. It didn't even explain anything.

Focus on the family could have done better if they actually shared her story. Her struggle. The commercial seemed to make light of a very tough decision. This has been the problem with a lot of the pro- life movement. They make it about holding a sign or a little catch phrase instead of entering relationships with the women and hearing why its such a hard decision. If anything focus on the family by this commercial just showed they really don't understand how to reach the audience they are trying too. Which is sad. I believe their heart is in the right place they just are sort of ignorant on the issue at hand

Whether or not to terminate a pregnancy is a heart wrenching decision for anyone; believer or not; planned pregnancy or not. Where is the compassion, and where is the woman to go for grief and healing? Because she will need to. I know.

That is the message that would have made an impact. Empathy; love, courage and pointing to a source, the source for healing.

They could have done a better job, and don't get me started about how they could have put the money to better use...

Jeff, thank you for saying everything I was thinking! I'd been planning to blog about this too but you beat me to it. I was SO disappointed by the ad I'd heard so much controversy over. It was a complete JOKE - total waste of time! I don't think it could've possibly affected anyone...it was just pointless rambling. I wish they'd had the ***** - or should I say COURAGE to actually say something worth their money - like, "22 years ago doctors told me I should terminate my pregnancy. I often remember that day, and I wonder how different things would be if my Timmy hadn't come into the world..." (insert hug from Tim Tebow here) "I'm so glad I CHOSE LIFE." Or something along those lines. Of course, they could've skipped the add completely and given all that money to children starving in Africa... but don't get me started. Disgusted by FOF as of now...

And were we really impressed by Tebow appearing to TACKLE his sweet little mom?! If anyone's going to get up in arms about this I can see a 'violence against women' sort of theme there... Whoever put that commercial together should look for a new job.

I think you guys are missing the point. The idea of it was to create controvercy. The add could have been much better, but even before the add was aired it had people talking and look at us now, still talking. I might be wrong, but that is great marketing. This add has pushed pro live again to the front even if the add said so little.

Love you Jumbo, but IMHO controversy is not the purpose of the Christian life (and shouldn't be the main purpose of Christian organizations). It comes with it, often, but the point is not JUST to create controversy (which is all I believe the ad did). We're supposed to bring LIFE, HOPE, TRUTH, HEALING...I don't see how that ad did anything but make people who were already pro-life and pro-choice argue more, and waste 3 million dollars that could've been used in a million better ways. I wonder how many wells could be dug in Africa for 3 million dollars? I'm just disappointed by the whole thing.

hey everyone - there are a few obvious things that are being overlooked here.
1. FOF did not advertise the commercial as a "pro-life" commercial. the media found out about the ad spot and they took it and ran with it and spun it as an anti-abortion ad. THEY created the controversy. all FOF said before it aired was that it was supposed to "celebrate family and life" and that it featured the tebows. so, the joke is really on the pro-choice extremists and the media, because really, they made a fool of themselves. yes, i definitely think that FOF's goal was to get people talking about life and abortion and those issues, but they did it in a way that could NEVER be considered offensive, by anyone, which is a huge accomplishment because...
2. on that note - CBS would NEVER allow FOF to air an ad that is outright pro-life. you have to go through TONS of stages of approvals to even be able to get one of those ad spots. FOF has tried to get ads before where the content wasn't approved, because it was considered taboo. so you have to remember that even if they wanted to broadcast the gospel in an ad during the super bowl, they wouldn't be allowed to.
3. the money for the commercial came from "a handful of "very generous and committed friends" who donated specifically to support the project." FOF didn't budget for it. and i think they managed, successfully, to get the entire country talking about abortion without ever saying the word "abortion" - their site had 40 times the normal traffic ... and people who saw the commercial went to the site and read MORE about the rest of the tebows' story and actually got to read about FOF's stance on abortion and life. so, personally, i think the ad was brilliant. that's why everyone is still talking about it.

Great. They increased their website traffic. Good for them. Too bad it was to a very boring, very long, awkwardly edited story that didn't get to the point ('don't kill your baby, God has a plan for you', etc etc) until the last 30 seconds...if you even managed to hang in there to GET to the end of it. GREAT. They got the country talking about abortion. Talk is cheap. Politicians talk all the time. Heck, Christians talk all the time. Did it actually accomplish any ACTION? (and by that, I mean do you really think it touched the lives of any pregnant women considering abortion?) The point that I think Jeff was making (correct me if I'm wrong Jeff) and that I was making was not whether or not it was 'brilliant' or 'entertaining' or 'got people talking'. It was 1- Did it make any REAL difference in the world? In the lives of pregnant women considering abortions? Did anyone considering an abortion even get that the ad was about that? and 2- Couldn't they have done a better job with this idea?

i think the point was to not shove prolife down everyone's throat we have been trying that for years and it does not work. Kind of like the sports ministry-- we get out there play ball with some kids start a friendship and then try to minister to them, because the other ways are not receptive to them.
Not all people learn or are receptive to the same things. No need to worry there are plenty of erratic, and in your face prolifers out there for those that are willing to listen-this was just a different approach.

@Justopinion - I disagree. Controversy doesn't make good marketing. Honesty does.

Just because you're being talked about, laughed at, or discussed in the news doesn't mean that your cause is being advanced. In many ways, this may have set the pro-life movement back a step or two.

That last reply was to Jumbo, as well. Totally appreciate where you're coming from and can relate, but I respectfully disagree. I agree with Ericka - this wasn't about getting something "talked about." Heaven knows pro-life issues are in the news constantly, and Focus hasn't really shied away from PR as an organization.

All I'm saying is this: if you had 30 seconds to tell the world about what was important, about God and human dignity, about aborted fetuses, life and death, guilt and shame, freedom and forgiveness, in a culturally relevant way, is THIS what you would have done?

Thanks Jeff - glad we're on the same page. I am encouraged though by a message I got from my friend Bethany (who works at a crisis pregnancy center in Auburn). Apparently it has been helping their donor relations, which is definitely a positive thing! I am glad to see there is SOME good being done by it though (though I wish it had been more for a 3 million dollar price tag). I still stand by everything I said previously though - I think it was poorly done and definitely could have been done better.

You know, I went back and timed that video. We know after working with AIM (and my husbands time in TV) that the average attention span for an internet video is under 3 minutes. Theirs was 10 minutes long. The BEST part of it was the last 30 seconds: their moving message to women considering abortion. It's a shame it wasn't edited better - cut down and focused on that, instead of 10 minutes of rambling. It had the potential to do SO much more!

Thanks, Ericka. If there's fruit, that's great. I definitely reserve the right to be wrong.

I don't think we're wrong - it's just our opinion after all. I DO think that it's proof that God can take our biggest messes and still bring good out of them. He is the great 'recycler' after all, and He loves to redeem things! Doesn't mean we shouldn't still strive for excellence though.

Let's suppose a Christian decides, by the leading of the Holy Spirit, to do something that seems completely idiotic by everyones standards, including both non-Christians and Christians (including mainstream and "radical"). Is it wrong for that Christian to do it? Of course not! Was it wrong for Noah to build an ark, although I'm sure nobody understood it and it cost a lot of money? Abraham leaving his security to become a nomad? Just because some may not agree, saying it's either not strong enough, or it's not being a good steward, etc, doesn't mean that it was wrong for Focus to do it. They may well have been led and directed by the Holy Spirit the whole time, in which case we are just arguing against the will of God. Not where we want to be. No matter what you think of FOF (I am indifferent myself, even though they are only about 5 blocks away from me), we shouldn't judge them when we don't know their motive or if what they were doing was prompted by God.

Andy - you make a great point! I think you may have missed what Jeff and I were saying though. I don't think either of us said it was WRONG for Focus on the Family to do this, we just said it wasn't done well. If God called them to do this, then by ALL means I think they should've done it! I just think they should've done it with excellence. THAT is what Jeff and I were discussing - whether it could've been done BETTER, and had a bigger impact (we both believe it could). Forgive me though if I came off as being judgemental - again I wasn't trying to condemn them, just saying I wish that Focus on the Family (and ALL Christian organizations) would be sure what they're doing is done well before they drop off millions of dollars. But that's just my opinion :)

In my opinion, the reality remains that the ad shouldn't have been aired during the superbowl. it wasn't a pro-life, celebrate family, celebrate life ad. it was a focus on the family ad. "Go to this website." CBS has done well at avoiding ads like this in the past, and really has created a long-lasting controversy with airing this one.

my primary frustration is with the thought that Tim is important and valuable because he is an NFL player and a really smart guy. As someone who had an abortion, and then later gave birth to a special-needs, autistic daughter ... it's important for me to hear and know that all of life is valuable.

The unasked questions not only in the ad but also on the FOTF web site. what if Tim's mom had died? what if Tim had died? what if Tim had been born retarded? Choosing life doesn't mean choosing happiness. The kid you don't abort may have a lot of problems. As the church, we need to be there for those folks then, as well.

I believe that all of life is valuable. We can't just pick and choose. If we defend the unborn's life, then we defend the life of those on death row. We don't kill abortion doctors. We defend the life of the homeless and the abused -- no matter if we think they deserve their fate or not.

We will only be able to really reach hurting people, and most women considering abortion, by trying to understand them and love them in the midst of it. And, regarding their decision or their life choices or their circumstances, choose to love them all the way through.

Ericka - thanks for the clarification. I guess my opinion, not from a marketing quality viewpoint, is that if even one child was kept from being aborted because someone was touched by the commercial, it did its job. I couldn't tell you if it was "good" from a marketing perspective.

I didn't see the ad. But I am craving Doritos for some reason. LOL. Love you man.

You're so right Andy! I was actually just talking to Rusty about that and said it would be worth 3 million dollars to save even one life. Of course then I wonder... but what if 3 million dollars could've saved hundreds of lives? or THOUSANDS of lives? I guess I've been around AIM too long - my mentors there always ask, "Whats the best ROI?" (return on investment) I just want to see the Christian community striving to do the most we can do and the best we can do... but nobody's perfect ;)

Hi everyone-- have enjoyed reading everyone's perspectives on the ad! I'm joining late, hope I don't repeat too much.

I didnt' get either. I feel that no matter if it was an over-hyped $3M superbowl ad or overnight paid-for-by-advertisers infocommercial, it failed by ad messaging standards. Especially by PSA messaging standards. PSAs have to speak louder. Big ad budgets buy the clutter that small ad budgets have to cut through. Calvin Klein has the money to spend on mysterious, branding commericals that say nothing. Budweiser has the budget to get away with mis-targeted advertising because their audience is so large anyway.

And I'm sure FOF wasn't going for branding, or at least they shouldn't be. (oops, slipped in a judgement-ish comment there. sorry) But by nature of the intended message, FOF should known their audience is a widely untouched niche of individuals who do not come out of the shadows very easily. This being said, they should have worked much harder at their reach. Know your audience! If there is any RULE NUMBER ONE of marketing, that is it!

I don't know specific stats on those considering, or who have been through, the experience of abortion --- BUT it hardly seems the targeted audience is a beautiful, grown women with a loving husband, affluent Christian with gobs of resources on her side. It's a wonderful thing Mrs. Tebow stepped up to quasi-tell her story.

But it's my suspicion that the the target audience here is desperate young girls with no where else to turn.

A younger teenager or early 20's girl would have spoke HUGE on the subject. Show a realistic girl who more women can relate to. I agree with 'kathy pride' that using empathy and love to express the message would have been powerful! wow. So powerful! And MUCH more relevant.

Show a lonely, hurting little girl who has found herself in a world of unimaginable trouble, and bring Jesus' love to that picture--- I promise it could turn dark into light. And as far as CBS not allowing a blatant message using Jesus' love in it's core, I get that. I understand their hands are tied. But do just what Jesus did when He walked among us -- SHOW the love. Tell a sweet, fragile girl out there who is considering or has been through an abortion there is abundant love for her AND her baby--- I can guarantee that is a message that cuts through the clutter. Women in that position aren't thinking "can this baby grow up to be a famous football leader?... or "I'll be so regretful if my baby missed the chance to be a great human being." They are scared. They are ashamed and need a way out. Play on the "grace covers fear" message and BOOM! I know it could work.

Phew. Wow. So many thoughts. Hope everyone finds this discussion valuable and a way for us all to learn from each other!

Thanks, Jeff. Oh master blog leader, sir! You rock.

@Andy - appreciate your bringing things into perspective for us. Just to clarify, I don't want to separate the marketing experts (which I'm not) from the non-experts. Good marketing is just about communication, and I think that Focus on the Family could've communicated their message better. That's all.

And you don't need $3m to save one unborn child. You could probably do that for $300. So, really, the issue is stewardship. Let's not do the typical Christian thing where we hope against hope that somehow this made some shred of difference in the world. The bottom line, in my opinion, is that they could've done better. The ad was decent, but the follow-up story on the website (please go watch it if you haven't) wasn't relevant to viewers outside of the Focus on the Family niche.

They missed an opportunity to reach millions with the true message of hope and life. I realize that CBS wouldn't have allowed an outright pro-life statement; that's never been the argument. The issue was - Focus' message was irrelevant to the culture. They've lost touch and probably need to reconnect.

Thanks for all of your comments. I really appreciate them. Keep 'em coming, and feel free to disagree. Hope that I haven't offended anyone; I respect Focus as an organization and just wanted to voice my concerns. Ultimately, we should be looking for what we can learn from this.

It didn't seem to me that the ad was about the message as much as it was about the buzz that was created. FOF was national news before the Super Bowl because pro-choice activists were opposed to this ad airing. The ad turned out to be nothing special, FOF didn't look like a group of extremists Christians shoving their ideas down the public's throats and pro-choice groups looked foolish for opposing the 'harmless' ad...just my humble opinion!

I know I'm late to this show, but I thought I would chime in with a quick thought and link you to a conversation that I had yesterday about this.

First, the thought: the problem I have with this is that commercials can't change hearts. I don't think it is a matter of putting out a better commercial, but of questioning the actual impact a commercial could actually make.

Anyhow, I had a very long conversation about this on Facebook yesterday for anyone interested in reading: http://www.facebook.com/#!/theotherjessemedina?v=feed&story_fbid=308009929109

Great discussion, Jesse. Just read it. I agree with you: I'm tired of wasted Christian resources. Well said.