Bible ad to run in Rolling Stone

National Catholic Reporter, Feb 11, 2005

CASCADE TOWNSHIP, Mich. -- An ad for "Today's New International Version Bible," a new translation aimed at young, hip readers, will appear in Rolling Stone magazine after publishers reversed their initial decision to reject it. The reversal was good news for Zondervan, the publisher trying to spread the word among 18- to 34-year-olds, a target audience of 8 million.

Zondervan was surprised earlier this month to learn Rolling Stone rejected its ad, which shows a young man with tousled hair, a two-day growth of beard and a beaded necklace. In a dark space next to him are the words: "Today it makes sense more than ever."

The ad, which does not mention Jesus, is an important piece in Zondervan's $1 million ad blitz. Its ads also are scheduled to run in The Onion, an edgy satirical newspaper, in Modern Bride, and on MTV and America Online Web sites.