CATHOLICS COME HOME ADS REACHED MILLIONS MORE TV VIEWERS THAN SUPER BOWL

CATHOLIC TV ADS REACHED MORE VIEWERS THAN SUPER BOWL

CATHOLICS COME HOME^® ADS REACHED MILLIONS MORE TV VIEWERS
THAN SUPER BOWL

Atlanta (Roswell), GA, February 9, 2012—During the recent Christmas season, most Americans witnessed a first in television and Church history: the national, prime-time network debut of empowering Catholic evangelization messages, from Catholics Come Home®.

These inspiring evangomercials™ were broadcast 546 times from December 12, 2011 to January 13, 2012, reaching viewers across the entire United States and airing in every diocese.  Nielsen data indicates that as many as 125 million Americans were exposed to the ads an average of 9.7 times.  The cost to reach 125 million souls ten times…just 2¾ cents per person.  In comparison, the Super Bowl reached only 111.3 million viewers just one time.
The most popular networks of CBS, NBC, Univision, TBS, USA, TNT, CNN and many other top cable networks broadcast the Catholics’ welcoming invitation on their most popular programs. The NBC Nightly News, 60 Minutes, Law and Order, The Today Show, Letterman, The O’Reilly Factor, Kennedy Center Honors, NCIS, all major college football bowl games on Dish Network, and other top shows carried the 30 and 60 second Catholic messages.  “TV is still king of the media world,” said Mark Gray of CARA.
Filled with the history, beauty, spirituality and accomplishments of the Catholic Church, this initiative of the New Evangelization evokes common responses from three main groups of viewers:

• Current Catholics say:  “When I saw the ads, I felt proud to be Catholic!“ 
• Inactive Catholics say:  “I feel like God was personally inviting me back
  to church.”
• Non-Catholics say:  “I didn’t know that about the Catholic faith.  I want to know more.”

“The Catholics Come Home campaign has been very successful.  I believe that it is one of the most powerful evangelization moments that we have had in several decades, shared Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond, Archdiocese of New Orleans.
“The national Catholics Come Home campaign is a great example of using modern media to serve the New Evangelization; both to reach out to those inactive in their faith, and to animate active Catholics to share their faith.  The beauty of the images and the compelling narrative of the commercials remind fallen away Catholics of God’s immense love for them and of their home in the Catholic Church,” said Bishop Thomas Olmsted, Diocese of Phoenix.
When parishes ask returnees, “why did you come home?,” the overwhelming answer has consistently been, “because you invited me”.  With the support of many individual donors, Catholics Come Home is taking the initiative to invite these “missing” family members back home.  “When we invite them home, the Holy Spirit opens the door,” said Catholics Come Home® president and founder, Tom Peterson.
“These beautifully done invitations to return to the practice of the Catholic faith are outstanding examples of the New Evangelization.  Thanks for helping us bishops and priests to reach out to so many of our brothers and sisters in the faith,” commented Bishop Michael Sheridan, Diocese of Colorado Springs.
Catholics Come Home® has launched successful evangelization initiatives in 33 US dioceses and archdioceses helping to increase Mass attendance, often significantly.  Catholics Come Home® continues to work in partnership with dioceses airing local TV evangelization media campaigns during the seasons of Advent/Christmas and Lent.  Future plans for the apostolate include developing and airing new commercials.