'God's Not Dead 2' Advertisement Booted from RNC
Atheism will be advertised at the upcoming Republican National Convention, but a popular Christian film won't be.
Orange Barrel Media, a company spear-heading advertisement for the RNC, refused to approve a billboard for the film "God's Not Dead 2."
The advertising company called the 32 by 60 foot billboard "too political" and "way too incendiary."
The billboard would have featured actress Melissa Joan Hart and the popular, "I'd rather stand with God and be judged by the world than stand with the world and be judged by God."
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Orange Barrel Media told Pure Flix the quote and even the title of the film were problematic.
The company went as far as warning the city of Cleveland that the ad was a problem.
The city did take issue with the size and placement of the sign, but a spokesman for the mayor of Cleveland said they did not take issue with the content of the message. They did, however, advised Orange Barrel to take certain steps to get it approved, but by then it was a little too late.
Pure Flix missed the deadline to appear at the Republican convention.
"[Orange Barrel Media] picked the building and the size and advertised that it was available," Steve Fedyski, CEO of Pure Flix, told the Hollywood Reporter. "They gave us a budget and deadlines and we met all of it; then they put us on hold. We missed a primary promotional opportunity."
The company's missed opportunity made room for the Freedom From Religion Foundation's billboard --"I'm an Atheist and I Vote" in addition to a billboard of former President Ronald Reagan saying "We establish no religion in this country."
"I'm perplexed. They dragged us along for weeks. Now, right up against the convention date, they say we aren't approved, and they give us no logical rationale," Fedyski said.
"My speculation is that someone somewhere didn't want our message out. It's hard to understand, considering we've used the same marketing on CNN and other national networks," he added.
