Ever wondered who puts up these billboards? The answer is Christian Aid Ministries is a Berlin, Ohio based non-profit organization founded in 1981 to provide a way for Amish, Mennonite and conservative Anabaptist groups to minister to people around the world. Christian Aid Ministries spent $4 million during 2017 on 900 billboards with evangelistic messages. Billboard spending has grown 18%/year over the past four years as you can see from this chart.
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | |
| Billboard Spending | 2,413,778 | 3,001,195 | 3,388,017 | 3,976,943 |
The advertising is simple. A lead headline which encourages you to call a hotline staffed with Christian counselors. The firm’s 2017 annual report states that 20,000 people called in 2017 in response to the billboards. Billboard spending is funded with individual donations.
Here’s the explanation of why Christian Aid Ministries uses billboards. The explanation comes from the organization’s website.
Why Billboards?
- A billboard catches people’s attention when they have time to contemplate. “I’ve got two more hours to drive. I’m going to think about these things.” – Missouri
- Repetition is powerful and effective. “I’ve seen this billboard for over a year. I’ve been driving past it every day…I really need help.” – Pennsylvania law enforcement officer.
- Billboards are difficult to ignore. “A billboard popped up just down the street from me. I was wondering how soon it will go away.” – California.
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