Super Bowl Ads: Jesus 'Gets Us'

The religiously wary, the spiritually curious — and anyone inclined to appeal to a higher power on game day — are the target audience for a Super Bowl ad campaign with a simple message: Jesus loves them.

A group that includes wealthy Christian boosters is using the biggest megaphone TV marketing money can buy on Sunday to spread the word with two new ads that proclaim "He Gets Us."

They hope to counter the notion that religion is used to divide people, spending about $20 million to reach more than 100 million viewers at a time when the nation’s Christian population — and religious affiliation of any kind — are in decline.

A Michigan creative agency is behind the multi-million dollar “He Gets Us” campaign that is airing two ads Sunday, Feb. 12. But instead of advertising a product, the short black and white videos carry a Christian message.

“Most of our messaging has been about what Jesus modeled, what he taught and what he experienced,” said Bill McKendry, founder and chief creative officer of Haven.

Since the Grand Haven-based agency rolled out the “He Gets Us” campaign in March 2022, people have seen the TV commercials, billboards and digital ads millions of times.

“It’s not a back to church campaign,” McKendry said. “But we do believe we are heightening the interest in Jesus, and obviously one of the outlets where people can go is a church.”