Christian Group Seeks to Promote Jesus Christ in a New Light with $100 Million Ad Campaign: 'He Gets Us'

Mar. 15, 2025

Photo: Loren Matthew/AP Images for HeGetsUs.com

A Christian group is spending$100 millionon a new campaign to promote Jesus Christ and the values they believe he held.

The"He Gets Us" campaignhas already started appearing online and will take over billboards and airwavesacross the nationwith the goal of presenting Jesus in a new light to Millennials and Gen Z, according toChristianity Today.

“A lot of times, the perception is that Christianity is kind of working against people,” campaign spokesperson and Haven president Jason Vanderground toldNBC News. “We wanted to help them see that in Jesus, there was someone who had a lot of common experience just like they did.”

According to Vanderground, the “He Gets Us” campaign hastwo main goals: “increase the respect and personal relevancy of Jesus” and “encourage Christians to follow the example of Jesus in how they treat other people.”

The ads will encourage users to visit HeGetsUs.com and connect using features such as a live chat function, a text line for “prayer and positive vibes” and more,Christianity Todayreports.

Merchandise available on the website— including a t-shirt that says, “Jesus was wrongly judged,” and a hat that says, “Jesus was a refugee” — doesn’t cost money but it’s not exactly free.

“The price you’ll find on each item is not monetary but something you’ll be asked to do: help a neighbor, serve the poor, forgive a family member, etc.,” the site explains.

Courtesy ‘He Gets Us’

The push to promote Jesus with a slick marketing campaign comes amid a trend of negative opinions surrounding religion, including Christianity, across the country.

According to a Gallup poll conducted in May, the number of U.S. adults that believe in God hasdipped to 81%, falling six points from 87% in 2017. Up until 2011, Gallup polls showed that 90% of Amercans believed in God.

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The year prior, in 2021, Gallup reported that the number of U.S. adults who belong to a church, synagogue or mosquedropped below 50%for the first time in eight decades.

Simultaneously, positive views of Christianity are on the decline, something Vanderground acknowledged during his interview with NBC News.

Yet despite the trend — and the campaign’s efforts to market Jesus — Vanderground doesn’t think Christianity’s central figure needs an image makeover. Rather, he believes people should listen more to Jesus' message.

“I think if people could hear from him [and] his message of love and compassion and forgiveness — something that we still deeply desire, we need these things one way or another — and we believe he gave an example for it,” Vanderground said.

“So we understand it, but there’s just something about the love and forgiveness of Jesus that a lot of people who are spiritually open just can’t get over,” he added.

According to its website, the “He Gets Us” campaign “does not representany church or religious denomination, and is not a political organization.” But the organization does not shy away from mentioning politics and other topics on its site.

“He never gave up his beliefs and conviction and mission, and it’s that model that we’re kind of trying to say, ‘Hey, this is an example we can all follow,’ no matter where you are on the political spectrum,” he explained.

source: people.com