GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan, USA, January 26, 2005 — The publishers of Rolling Stone have changed their minds, and opted to run an advertisement for the Bible in the magazine's February 24th issue, which hits newsstands on February 11th.
Rolling Stone had turned down the half-page ad for the Today's New International Version (TNIV) of the Bible, citing an unwritten policy against ads with religious messages. [Read related story] Executives at Zondervan, the publisher of the TNIV, were upset by the rejection, and by refusals to run the ad even with changes to the copy.
Media critics condemned the magazine, which for years published classified ads for the United Life Church's mail-order ordination, for turning down the comparatively tame Bible ad.
"We have addressed the internal miscommunications that led to the previous misstatement of company policy and apologize for any confusion it may have caused," Lisa Dallos, spokeswoman for Wenner Media, Rolling Stone's parent company, said on January 24th. No further details about the decision were given.
"We're thrilled that they've decided to accept our ad for the TNIV," said Doug Lockhart, vice president of marketing for Zondervan.
Paul Caminiti, Zondervan's president of Bible publishing agrees. "We believe that the Bible is relevant for Rolling Stone readers," he told USA Today. "We've always believed they were a cornerstone in our campaign to squarely market to spiritually intrigued 18- to 34-year-old young people, many of whom live outside the embrace of the church."
The ad will run unchanged in Rolling Stone and is part of an aggressive advertising blitz for the new translation, with similar ads to be carried in Modern Bride, The Onion, MTV.com and AOL.
Meanwhile, the free advertising generated by the Rolling Stone controversy has triggered larger than anticipated demand for the TNIV. As a result, Zondervan will be placing the Bible in stores ahead of schedule. The Bibles retail for $20.99 to $84.99 Cdn., depending on the features and binding, and include both men's and women's study versions.
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