Whybin\TBWA\Tequila Auckland’s Virgin Mary pregnancy test billboard for St Matthew-in-the-City causes worldwide controversy
Auckland church St Matthew in the City has done it again, getting a massive reaction to its latest irreverent billboard, created by agency Whybin\TBWA\Tequila, Auckland.
The billboard portrays Mary, Jesus’ mother, looking at a home pregnancy test kit revealing that she is pregnant.
The reaction around the world has been swift, an agency spokesperson told CB: “Within an hour of being installed our billboard was on TV3 news, overnight it was in the Daily Mail in the UK, then on the Huffington Post, now on ABC news.”
According to the church’s rationale on its website:
Christmas is real. It’s about a real pregnancy, a real mother and a real child. It’s about real anxiety, courage and hope.
This billboard portrays Mary, Jesus’ mother, looking at a home pregnancy test kit revealing that she is pregnant. Regardless of any premonition, that discovery would have been shocking. Mary was unmarried, young, and poor. This pregnancy would shape her future. She was certainly not the first woman in this situation or the last.
As in the past it is our intention to avoid the sentimental, trite and expected to spark thought and conversation in the community. This year we hope to do so with an image and no words. We invite you to wonder what your caption might be.
Although the make-believe of Christmas is enjoyable – with tinsel, Santa, reindeer, and carols – there are also some realities. Many in our society are suffering: some through the lack of money, some through poor health, some through violence, and some through other hardships. The joy of Christmas is muted by anxiety.
In this season we encourage one another to be generous to those who suffer, to give to strangers, and to care for all – especially those who have the least. Like the first Santa, St Nicholas did.
We invite all who celebrate the season to hold these different strands of a real Christmas together: anxiety and joy, suffering and compassion, Santa and Jesus.
21 Comments
Brilliant.
The caption should be “Jesus”.
Wonder if the agency will forsake all earthly award for the work locally, nationally and internationally?
Brilliant.
Remember, God created humour.
It’s time agencies started taking the piss out of Islamic religious concepts and icons.
That will test their mettle.
Very dada. I like it a lot, should be hung in a gallery.
Way to bring the Christmas cheer down and get all heavy man. Next they’ll be saying all this advertising of unnecessary consumer crap isn’t actually what Christmas is all about.
Amen
8:07, you seem to have overlooked the fundamental: that this is taking the piss out of Christmas which is not an Islamic concept. Any further questions?
Love it
Nice one SM, I was going for ‘Holy Fuck’
Inspired. Bloody Inspired.
One image, no words, but volumes spoken.
5.09pm, that would be a great headline – but I love the actual execution even more.
Hahahahaha…love it!
Nobody reads copy.
So why did you bother?
The caption should be “Who’s your Daddy”
Any ad that offends religion will cause worldwide controversy. Is it good? … meh… needs a logo.
my caption would be.
‘we’ll do just about anything to get in the papers. we used to do it for adidas but those days are gone now and we really miss them.’
something like that.
Terrible photoshop job.
If its real why does it look so fake?
Just saying.
Holy f**k!
This may come as a shock to you 4:37, but if we’re to believe the bible story, Mary existed before the age of photography, photoshop or indeed pregnancy testing technology.