Locally Produced ‘He Gets Us’ Commercials Divide as They Seek To Unite

As North Texans tuned into the Super Bowl last Sunday, many were struck by a pair of slickly produced ads promoting a completely different type of product: Jesus. The “He Gets Us” commercials made a lasting impression on viewers and attracted both praise and condemnation from far-flung editorial departments.

Dallas-based Lerma Agency designed the black-and-white adverts, with Texas Monthly noting that one of the creatives behind the idea, David Morring, had sought to “rebrand” Christ for a modern audience.

“I looked at the word ‘Jesus’ and saw the word ‘us’ at the end,” Morring told Texas Monthly. “I circled that part. I said, wait a second . . . he gets us — we’re all in his story.”

The commercials, meant to inspire unity, have instead apparently touched a nerve. Some conservatives, like activist and talk radio host Charlie Kirk, slammed the spots for supposedly trying to pander to the “woke” left. Liberals like New York U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, meanwhile, questioned whether Christ would have approved of the costly Super Bowl ads, which carried a $20 million price tag.

Others have pointed out that the foundation that bankrolled the campaign has ties to a Southern Poverty Law Center-designated anti-LGBTQ+ hate group.

The size of the “He Gets Us” campaign is certainly significant, said J. Sage Elwell, associate professor of religion and art and chair of Texas Christian University’s religion department. More than a decade ago, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints launched a campaign dubbed “I’m a Mormon,” but its scale pales in comparison.

The “He Gets Us” ads were certainly thought–provoking, said Carrie La Ferle, a professor of ethics and culture in advertising at Southern Methodist University’s Temerlin Advertising Institute. Viewers seemed to like the campaign too. Of 51 Super Bowl ads, one of the “He Gets Us” spots ranked No. 8 and the other at No. 15 on USA TODAY’s Ad Meter.

“I think people in times of chaos, so to speak, do turn to things like this.” – Dr. Carrie La Ferle, SMU advertising professor

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La Ferle described the quality of the ads as “powerful” — particularly their music and images — and said they’re meant to resonate with a wide range of people. Advertisers hope to spark conversations at the proverbial water cooler, and these have certainly gained a ton of free media exposure since their airing.

“I think [we’re] a long way from people sitting in the pews,” La Ferle said, “but just getting somebody to think about it is interesting.”

Elwell notes that the ads come at a time when the number of self-identified Christians in the country has dwindled. A Pew Research Center report from last September put that number at 63%, a steep drop from the roughly 9 in 10 U.S. adults who answered affirmatively in the early ‘90s.

Part of this decline may be because folks are “tired of seeing so-called ‘good Christians’ doing bad things,” Elwell said.

“From your next-door neighbor to senators and celebrities, people who claim to be Christians aren’t acting like it,” he added. “They’re not turning the other cheek, they’re not showing mercy to those seeking refuge, they’re not giving shelter to the unhoused, they’re not feeding the hungry, they’re not loving their neighbor, and they’re certainly not loving their enemies.”
Many folks who check the “none” box on surveys when asked for their religious identity view themselves as “spiritual but not religious,” Elwell said. The “He Gets Us” campaign appears to be geared toward those “nones” by highlighting some of Jesus’ most basic directives, including love your neighbor (and enemy) and practice mercy and compassion.

Elwell thinks that the ads could potentially help attract more people to church in the short term, but sustaining that increase could be difficult. The ads offer a “non-creedal” version of Christ as a refugee, activist, influencer and rebel, he said. Yet the issue lies in the fact that even nondenominational institutions have to eventually decide on some sort of doctrine that might turn new churchgoers off.

Some say that Christianity is starting to see a resurgence. Case in point: La Ferle noted that for more than a week, students at a Kentucky Christian college have been praying around the clock, and people are now even flying in to join the marathon service.

Terrible events have dominated the news cycle in recent months, from devastating earthquakes to mass shootings at schools, La Ferle said. Some may look to religion to serve as a firm foundation during societal turbulence, such as amid the coronavirus pandemic. “I think people in times of chaos, so to speak, do turn to things like this,” she said. “So maybe this is the perfect time to throw it out there as food for thought.”