Or is it the carriers of the message of Jesus Christ that need a new brand?
I say no to both questions, with a small caveat.
Jesus does not need a new brand; however, His brand ambassadors sometimes need reminding that we are called to share a message of love, hope, and salvation to this dark and fallen world. We can't do that through a slick marketing campaign.
Ninety seconds of ads played during the Super Bowl cannot even begin to have the level of impact that each of you spending 40-60 hours in the marketplace each week can have on advancing the Kingdom of God.
It's simple math. Even the best preachers only have about 30 minutes each week to share the gospel with their congregations. But Christian business leaders of any vocation or position share the gospel, spoken or unspoken, in EVERY interaction they have with people in the marketplace.
Francis of Assisi said it beautifully, “Preach the gospel at all times and if necessary, use words.”
People receive the gospel through people. Are you behaving in a way that people want to know the God you serve? Or when they watch you and interact with you, do they leave thinking, "If that's a Christian, I don't want anything to do with their God"?
When we effectively understand the opportunity and responsibility we have to embody the love of Jesus Christ in every contact we have with others, we'll experience a greater ROI than could ever be gained from a $20 million ad buy.
Don't misunderstand—I was thrilled to see a Christian message during the Super Bowl. But a beautiful, edgy ad is not enough.