DIA Embraces Challenge on Marketing Religion, Art

DETROIT FREE PRESS
By Mark Stryker

Marketing for the DIA's upcoming exhibit "Rembrandt and the Face of Jesus." | DIA

MICHIGAN - The marketing slogan “See Jesus in a New Light” made the cut, but “If Jesus Came to Detroit, Would You Go See Him?” did not. Promoting a household name like Rembrandt is a no-brainer for museums, but marketing Jesus is more complicated. The Detroit Institute of Arts’ important upcoming exhibition Rembrandt and the Face of Jesus actually combines two household names. But finding ways to honor both Rembrandt’s artistic genius and the profound spiritual meaning that Christ carries in the lives of believers has been one of the greatest marketing challenges the DIA has ever faced. What kind of campaign do you create to draw as many people as possible to the show without offending anyone in a community as culturally diverse as metro Detroit? [link]