Other Group

He Gets Us

Website:

www.hegetsus.com

Type:

Advocacy campaign

Formation:

2022

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He Gets Us is an advocacy campaign that encourages people to learn about Christianity through Jesus. Its materials relate current events to issues with which Jesus dealt. The campaign has a website with videos and articles about Jesus, produces television commercials, constructs billboards, and posts on social media. It is known for its commercials that aired during the 2023 and 2024 Super Bowls. The He Gets Us campaign spent $100 million on its initial launch and is expecting to spend a billion dollars over three years. 1

The organization is controversial as it is believed to be primarily funded by Christian conservative organizations and people, but its content targets liberal youth and appears to support left-of-center ideology. 2

Background

He Gets Us was launched by the Servant Foundation in 2021. The Servant Foundation operates under the name “The Signatry.” It is a donor-advised fund and a Christian ministry launched in 2000 “seeking to build the kingdom of God by inspiring world-changing generosity.” 3 The Signatry has received over $4 billion in donations and has made more than $3 billion in grants. 4 From 2018 to 2020, it donated $50 million to Christian advocacy group Alliance Defending Freedom, which conducts legal and policy advocacy for right-of-center policies related to LGBT and abortion issues. 5 6

In early 2024, the He Gets Us campaign was transitioned to Come Near, a startup that produces “thought-provoking campaigns that share the life and love of Jesus in fresh, innovative ways.” 7 According to its GuideStar profile, Come Near was originally a Christian relief organization that dissipated. In 2023, it was dormant and in 2024 it reorganized into its current form with a new board. 8

The Campaign

Creative Marketing firm BrandHaven conducted market research for six months, funded by the Servant Foundation, and formed the He Gets Us campaign based on its findings. The initial $100 million campaign launched in March 2022 with a series of television commercials relating Jesus’s experiences to current events. It produced television ads, billboards, and social media feeds. The television commercials ran during the NCAA “March Madness” college basketball tournament and the Grammy Awards. The campaign placed billboards in prime locations such as Las Vegas and Times Square. In 2023 it spent $20 million on two Super Bowl commercials. It plans to spend a billion dollars over three years. 1

In 2024, He Gets Us paid $17 million for two new commercials during the Super Bowl. 2 The campaign plans to advertise during the Paris Olympics, the NFL draft, and the Republican and Democratic conventions throughout 2024. 9

Left-of-Center Views

He Gets Us has described Jesus as a rebel, an immigrant, a refugee, a women’s rights activist, and an activist against racism and political corruption. 10 The campaign referred to Jesus as “the world’s biggest influencer.” 1 Critics have argued that the campaign’s content is framed “in progressive terminology,” using terms such as “#activist #struggle #refugee #justice #outrage #bias #judgment” and referencing concepts like “oppression, racial conflict, toxic systems, corruption, and political conflict.” 11

The ads direct people to the He Gets Us website that contains articles and videos, and links to sign up for newsletters and local events or to subscribe to a Bible reading plan. The campaign has recruited about 20,000 churches to provide volunteers to contact people who ask for more information through the website. 12 13

As of February 2023, before the Super Bowl commercials, the campaign “reached 431 million YouTube views, connected 113,923 people to churches, and has 19,501 churches involved.” 4 The Signatry 2023 Annual Report indicated that over 385,000 people subscribed to Bible reading plans and over 280,000 people were connected to local ministries. 14

Funding

The original funding for He Gets Us came from donor-advised fund The Signatry. Since this is a donor-advised fund, individual donors are not public information. 15 However, billionaire Hobby Lobby co-founder and CEO David Green has claimed to be a big donor to the campaign. 10 Green is estimated to be worth $13.7 billion as of April 2024. He is a devout Christian who infuses Christianity into his business. 16

People

Jason Vanderground is a spokesperson for He Gets Us and president of BrandHaven, a creative marketing firm that produces the He Gets Us ads. 10 Prior to BrandHaven, Vanderground held several positions related to marketing, communications, and brand management. 17

Come Near’s CEO is Ken Calwell. 6 Previously, Calwell was a chief marketing officer at Domino’s Pizza and Wendy’s, a CEO for Papa Murphy’s pizza chain, and a CMO of Christian nonprofit Compassion International. 18

David Green’s son Mart Green is a board member of Come Near. 19 Green is the ministry investment officer at Hobby Lobby and founder of Christian retail store Mardel Christian and Education. 20

Controversies

The 2023 Super Bowl commercials caused controversy over the He Gets Us campaign. Many felt that the high cost of the campaign was a “misuse of money” and could be better spent “supporting things Jesus cared about, like feeding the poor and housing the homeless.” 1

Political liberals have criticized the campaign because of the people and organizations funding it, such as the Servant Foundation and Christian conservative David Green. 5

Political conservatives have expressed concern about the content of the campaign, which represents left-wing political views about diversity and immigration. 5 In its Frequently Asked Questions the website states “Jesus loves gay people and Jesus loves trans people.” 21 Turning Point USA leader Charlie Kirk described the He Gets Us ads as being “politically to the left inspired by social justice warriors.” 22

References

  1.  Kristen Thomason. “He Gets Us, Part 1: The men and money behind the movement.” Baptist News. February 23, 2023. Accessed January 18, 2025. https://baptistnews.com/article/he-gets-us-part-1-the-men-and-money-behind-the-movement/
  2. Tiffany Stanley. “On Super Bowl broadcast, ‘He Gets Us’ ads featuring Jesus stand out for change-of-pace message.” Associated Press. February 12, 2024. Accessed January 18, 2025. https://apnews.com/article/super-bowl-ads-christianity-jesus-religion-football-4e5fa8372701eae1a95d716a77172280
  3. “Who We Are.” The Signatry. Accessed January 17, 2025. https://thesignatry.com/
  4. Peter Pinedo. “5 things to know about the  ‘He Gets Us’ Jesus ad campaign.” Catholic News Agency. February 12, 2023. Accessed January 18, 2025. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253623/5-things-to-know-about-the-he-gets-us-jesus-ad-campaign
  5. Mike Wendling. ““He gets us” Super Bowl Jesus commercial angers both left and right.” BBC News. February 13, 2023. Accessed January 18, 2025. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-64493324
  6. Jesse Yomtov. “‘He Gets Us’ returns with new Super Bowl commercials for Jesus.” USA Today. February 11, 2024. Accessed January 18, 2025. https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/Ad-Meter/2024/02/11/he-gets-us-super-bowl-commercials-jesus/72562492007/
  7. LinkedIn – Come Near. Accessed January 17, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/company/come-near/about/
  8. “Come Near Media Inc.” GuideStar. Accessed January 17, 2025. https://www.guidestar.org/profile/65-0252235
  9.  Kristen Thomason. “He Gets Us – again.” Baptist News Global. March 5, 2024. Accessed January 18, 2025. https://baptistnews.com/article/he-gets-us-again/
  10.  AJ Willingham. “The truth behind the ‘He Gets Us’ ads for Jesus airing during the Super Bowl.” CNN. February 13, 2023. Accessed January 18, 2025. https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/11/us/he-gets-us-super-bowl-commercials-cec/index.html
  11. Natasha Crain. “Here Comes the He Gets Us Campaign Again: Why Its Portrayal of Jesus is Still a Problem.” Natasha Crain. February 6, 20244. Accessed January 18, 2025. https://natashacrain.com/here-comes-the-he-gets-us-campaign-again-why-its-portrayal-of-jesus-is-still-a-problem/
  12. Bob Smietana. “‘He Gets Us’ Super Bowl Ads Part of Billion-Dollar Campaign.” Christianity Today. February 2, 2023. Accessed January 18, 2025. https://www.christianitytoday.com/2023/02/he-gets-us-super-bowl-commercial-billion-jesus-christian/
  13. “All of Us.” He Gets Us – Sign Up. Accessed January 18, 2025. https://hegetsus.com/en/sign-up
  14.  “Overflowing Generosity 2023 Annual Report.” The Signatry. Accessed January 18, 2025. https://wp.thesignatry.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/2023-The-Signatry-Annual-Report-Optimized.pdf
  15. Joe Carter. “The FAQs: What You Should Know About the ‘He Gets Us’ Campaign.” The Gospel Coalition. March 2, 2023. Accessed January 17, 2025. https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/faqs-he-gets-us-campaign/
  16. “David Green & family.” Forbes profile. April 2, 2024. Accessed January 18, 2025. https://www.forbes.com/profile/david-green/?sh=4ea8756c4ef0
  17. LinkedIn – Jason V. Accessed January 18, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-v-1267897/
  18. LinkedIn – Ken Calwell. Accessed January 18, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ken-calwell/
  19. Dan Treacy. “Who is behind ‘He Gets Us’ Jesus commercials? What to know about charity funding Super Bowl ad.” The Sporting News. May 4, 2024. Accessed January 18, 2025. https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/news/super-bowl-ad-he-gets-us-jesus-commercial-explained/1fa7ad9d2b009aad27bbce80
  20. LinkedIn – Mart Green. Accessed January 18, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/in/mart-green-3704284/
  21. “Frequently Asked Questions.” He Gets Us. Accessed January 18, 2025. https://hegetsus.com/en/about-us#FAQ
  22. YouTube Shorts – Charlie Kirk. “This is what the ‘He Gets Us’ ads should have been.” February 14, 2024. Accessed January 18, 2025. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/gDkjBtTiDvw
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