Atheist Bus Ads Go Up in Fort Worth – Friendly Atheist
The Dallas – Forth Worth Coalition of Reason has a new bus ad going up today, adding to the mix of ads showcasing atheists as normal, everyday people:
It may be bit difficult to notice, but those images are on a backdrop of the American flag. (See? We’re patriotic!)
… The campaign is designed to help those interested find the fifteen area nontheistic groups that make up the DFW coalition.
“We’d have run these ads on Dallas buses as well,” noted DFW CoR Coordinator Terry McDonald, “but when we approached DART, they chose to stop running all religiously-related ads rather than include ours.”
Reaching out to a secular audience isn’t the only goal of the campaign, however. “We want religious people to understand that non-believers are basically the same as everyone else,” added Terry McDonald. “We are as ‘good’, as moral as any other group. If you look you’ll find us among your friends, neighbors, coworkers and family members. There are about 50 million non-religious people in the United States. It’s time we were recognized and granted our rightful place in society.”
I wonder if this will get the same kind of press American Atheists is getting right now with their billboard. (Judging by AA’s recent press releases, you’d think president Dave Silverman was more overexposed than Lady Gaga.)
If it doesn’t, I suspect you may soon be seeing more aggressive forms of advertising — with messages directly criticizing religion instead of reaching out to closeted atheists. It’s not that the “happy Humanist” messages aren’t important, but when you’re paying this much for billboards, publicity means everything.
Via: Friendly Atheist » Atheist Bus Ads Go Up in Fort Worth!.
