A pizza company has upset people over an advertising campaign that compares its limited-edition hot cross buns to Jesus.
Hell Pizza has put billboards around Auckland’s CBD that advertise its hot cross buns with the tagline: “For a limited time. A bit like Jesus.”
Anglican Church media officer Lloyd Ashton said the campaign was disrespectful to many religions and the people who followed them.
Now let’s see how many Christians will storm their local Kiwi embassies and wreak vengeance. Crickets chirping…My point is made.
#1 — It’s so stupid that it’s not even worth it. A food company wanted to provoke a “debate” about religion? Why? Oh, right, to get attention. So don’t give them any — and don’t buy their buns.
Here is what get’s me. As far as I can tell, the SAME province, maybe even diocese, has one of its own churches that posted billboards with Joseph and Mary in bed and Jesus on the cross saying “this sucks.” And, IF this is the same diocese/province, then comments like this from the diocesan media contact regarding the pizza billboards ring hollow: “They [the billboards] join a long line of advertising that’s in questionable taste that slings off [at] things that lots of people hold precious. It’s disrespectful to what a lot of people hold very dear.”
An interesting marketing idea. If the company really wanted to get
attention – not all of it welcome – they could bake croissants.
According to one fanciful story about croissants, these were first baked
in Vienna to celebrate victory over the Muslim Turks. An advertising
slogan could then run : “For a limited time. Just like Mohammed.”
Imagine the response that would get !
Look at the picture in the original article and note that they aren’t really hot “cross” buns, but rather buns iced with PENTAGRAMS!