July 12 1999

ARTICLE TOOLS

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The writing is on the wall—literally.

Across America the modern equivalent of mene mene tekel uparsin is cropping up on billboards courtesy of an ad agency, an anonymous donor, the Outdoor Advertising Association of America (OAAA)—and the Almighty himself.

In clear, white lettering, messages such as "Let's meet at my house Sunday before the game —God" and "Loved the wedding, invite me to the marriage" are giving commuters a chuckle and possibly something more serious to think about.

The campaign began after a client who wanted to remain anonymous approached the Smith Agency in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The client pledged more than $100,000 to pay for a billboard campaign in south Florida to reach people who had stopped attending church.

In March, a nationwide "God Speaks" campaign devised by Smith began in almost 200 cities when the OAAA donated $12 million of free advertising space.

To make God more accessible, the billboards use catch phrases, such as "I meant that 'Love Thy Neighbor' thing," instead of straight Scripture, according to Smith Agency president Andy Smith. "The audience we're trying to reach can relate to modern language more than Bible verses," he says.