The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' Christmas campaign, “A Savior Is Born,” was ranked ninth most viewed by Advertising Age in the top holiday campaigns for 2015.
“Perhaps the least expected member of the list, in a season dominated by commercial messaging, is a campaign sponsored by the Mormon Church,” said Advertising Age.
The 2015 initiative, “A Savior Is Born,” focuses on finding, knowing and following the teachings of Jesus Christ.
The two-minute video features children in locations around the world, including Israel, Los Angeles, New York and Utah, quoting Isaiah (see Isaiah 9:6 and Handel’s Messiah) and expressing their personal belief in Jesus Christ.
The “A Savior Is Born” video has received more than 45 million views worldwide since its release on November 29. The video received over eight million views this week and was also featured in Advertising Age's weekly viral video chart as the fourth most watched video this week.
While all of the other Christmas campaigns on the list focused on retail, Advertising Age called the Church's video "one bona fide spiritual message."
“We live in a world where the power and influence of God in our daily lives are downplayed and dismissed and where the need for a Savior is ignored and even mocked,” said Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in the December 2015 issue of the Church’s Ensign and New Era magazines. “For those who are devoted to the Lord Jesus Christ, there has never been a greater need for us to profess our faith in our Savior, privately and publicly.”