Christian When Christian Wasn’t Cool (or Profitable) Devotion Media Knows the Territory Spiritually, Technically, and Creatively

Devotion Media

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Loyd Boldman
Devotion Media
1964 Howell Branch Road, Suite 102
Winter Park, FL 32789
Phone: 407-677-8514
Fax: 407-677-8610
E-mail: loyd@devotionmedia.com

Christian When Christian Wasn’t Cool (or Profitable)
Devotion Media Knows the Territory Spiritually, Technically, and Creatively
Winter Park, FL –- If you follow the marketing news these days, it appears that it’s finally profitable to be a Christian. Blockbuster films such as The Passion of the Christ, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe have shown that believers have a big impact on the bottom line. The Purpose Driven Life (over 170 weeks on the New York Times Best-Sellers list) and the ubiquitous Left Behind series have done the same in the publishing world. Even Bill Gaither’s old-school Homecoming events are listed among Rolling Stone’s highest-grossing tours, beating household names like Elton John and Fleetwood Mac.

Mainstream trade publications such as Advertising Age have taken note of all the mainstream marketing firms tripping over themselves to jump on the big-dollar gospel bandwagon, and the outlook isn’t always pretty. In a recent article entitled “Christian Message, Secular Messengers,” the New York Times reported about one traditional agency (Tocquigny, in Austin, Texas) that had been awarded a Christian-oriented media account. "We anticipated that there might be some cons," said Skip Dampier, a partner and creative director at the agency. "And we knew that not everyone at the agency would want to work on this business."

The partners of Devotion Media, an award-winning creative concept and design firm located near Orlando, Florida, just celebrated eleven years of business together specializing in projects for Campus Crusade, Wycliffe Bible Translators, Crown Financial Ministries, World Hope, the Global Pastor’s Network, the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary, Reformed Theological Seminary and Pioneers, as well as some of the fastest-growing churches in America: Northland: A Church Distributed (Longwood, FL), National Community Church (Washington D.C.), and James River Assembly (Springfield, MO).

Founders John-Erik Moseler and Loyd Boldman have been working together since 1995. They now have a staff of seven that produces video, live events, interactive, web, and print projects. But they cut their teeth as a company named Silent Planet, developing video games for TOEI International (Japan), web projects for Sightline (The Netherlands), and interactive, video and print projects for household names like The Walt Disney Company, Universal Studios Florida, Harris Semiconductor, General Electric, Papa John’s Pizza, Hilton Grand Vacations, and The Smithsonian.

From its beginning, “The Planet” was unusual among design and advertising firms for the large number of ministry organizations that it attracted along with commercial clients. Both Moseler and Boldman are active in their respective churches, and decided in 2003 to focus primarily on the growing sophistication and communication needs of modern Christian churches, para-church ministries, and non-profit organizations that were coming to their door; thus, Devotion Media was born. Moseler says, “Today’s ministries are more communications-savvy than ever before.” Boldman adds, “We speak their language spiritually, technically, and creatively. Our clients don’t have to spend a half-hour explaining the “Parable of the Sower and the Seed” to us, like they once had to do for a secular design company.”

Devotion’s projects range from identity systems and print design, to writing, producing and directing short films and animation, to the creation of strategic omni-media tools for communications and growth.

Devotion’s efforts helped boost the attendance of James River Assembly’s annual “I Love America” patriotic event nearly 57% in two years, to a whopping 110,000 attendees. Some of the biggest help came behind the scenes, strategically spurring explosive growth and early registration in the number of volunteers available to help manage the event. Video projects take Devotion around the world, from Kenya to Thailand to the Philippines, even to Louisiana in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

And they have fun doing it. They refer to Devotion’s recently expanded home as “The Abbey of St. Fictitious” and display a statue of “St. Egregious, Patron Saint of Desktop Clutter.” “We picture ourselves as circus performers that somehow started a monastery. Spiritual, but not so stuffy you can’t balance something on your nose once in awhile,” Boldman says.

Among the dozens of awards won by Devotion’s staff over the years, they recently won Gold ADDY awards from the Orlando Advertising Federation for a video for missionary organization World Hope, as well as for their own web site (www.devotionmedia.com).
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