Christmas starts with Christ goes simple

The poster for the 2013 Christmas starts with Christ campaign(Photo: Church Ads)

It has in the past used striking images to grab the attention of passers-by.  This year the Christmas starts with Christ campaign is stripping things back and going with a simple red and white logo to get the message across.

The campaign is run by Church Ads each year to remind people of the true meaning of Christmas and the fact that it is Jesus' birthday.  

Last year, the poster campaign showed a giant baby doll next to the slogan "Godbaby: He cries.  He wees. He saves the world".

In previous years, the campaign has featured the ultrascan of a baby with a halo over its head and the Holy Family in a bus shelter.

Church Ads is concerned that only 51% of people know the nativity story and this year, to prompt people to think about the real meaning of the season, it is using a simple poster showing the Christmas starts with Christ logo on the side of a mug.

The humorous and attention-grabbing Godbaby poster from the 2012 campaign

"Christmas is being lost to secularism and the trend is for this to get worse," the group says.

"Together we can reverse the trend. A movement made up of some of the nation's leading Christian groups, including the Church of England, the Evangelical Alliance and the Children's Society, is coming together because we believe Christmas is worth saving.

"Christmas starts with Christ is a campaign aimed at helping churches to make Christ and the amazing story of his birth the focus of the nation's favourite time of year."

The campaign rolls out on December 1 when posters will be displayed in public places complemented by radio commercials.

Arun Arora, Director of Communications, Church of England said: "At Christmas time churches do a huge amount to carry the Christmas story into their local communities, through word and deed.

"The vision for the Christmas starts with Christ campaign is to use a common logo to 'join the dots' of these activities and project a powerful message to our nation that the reason for the season is the birth of Jesus."

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