GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan, USA, January 21, 2005 — Rolling Stone magazine has long been known as the 'Rock and roll bible' in reference to its influence and authority in the world of music. Its editors, however, have decided that the influence and authority of the Holy Bible is a taboo subject in the magazine's pages.
Citing an unwritten policy prohibiting religious advertising in the magazine, Rolling Stone's editors rejected a half-page ad from Zondervan, America's largest Bible publisher, just two weeks before its scheduled run date.
The word "truth," it seems, is at the heart of the problem. The ad copy reads, "In a world of almost endless media noise and political spin, you wonder where you can find real truth. Well, now there's a source that's accurate, clear and reliable. It's the TNIV - Today's New International Version of the Bible. It's written in today's language, for today's times - and it makes more sense than ever."
"The copy is a little more than an ad for the Bible," Kent Brownridge, general manager of Rolling Stone's parent company, Wenner Media, told USA Today, "It's a religious message that I personally don't disagree with... (but) we are not in the business of publishing advertising for religious messages."
He had no comment on why, back in July, Rolling Stone sold the ad space to Zondervan in the first place, saying only that upon seeing the actual ad copy, the publication's executives concluded that "it doesn't quite feel right in the magazine."
What apparently does feel right for the magazine are ads for cigarettes (Issue 964/965, for example, had four of them), racy vodka ads, and spots for hangover pills and 'personal lubricant'.
"We're really surprised and disappointed," says Doug Lockhart, Zondervan's vice president of marketing, "Our mission is (to get) more people engaging the Bible more, and Rolling Stone was a perfect fit for the group we want to reach. This rejection just underscores the challenge we face."
The audience that Zondervan is targeting through its $1 million ad campaign is spiritually intrigued 18- to 34-year-olds. Rolling Stone, with a median age of 28.5 among its readership, was seen as an ideal vehicle. Similar ads are running in the weekly satirical magazine, The Onion, and the February/March issue of Modern Bride. The VH1 and MTV websites will also feature TNIV ads.
Not everyone in the music magazine marketplace agrees with the Rolling Stone decision. A representative from Blender magazine, one of Rolling Stone's competitors, called Zondervan last week and offered to run the ad in its pages.
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