Pledge-drive promotion for Gary Chapman’s ‘universal’ best-seller will ‘help bring in new audiences’

One of Christian retailing’s perennial best-sellers has made its way to DVD almost 20 years after it was first published.

Author and counselor Gary Chapman is captured presenting his teaching on The 5 Love Languages in a 65-minute program released in May by DPTV Media. Retailing for $14.98, it is being distributed to Christian and general market outlets by E1 Entertainment Distribution U.S.

Since it was published in 1992, Chapman’s guide to communication and relationships has sold more than 5.5 million copies and been a fixture on industry best-seller lists. It has also seen five spin-off titles—“Love Languages” editions for children, teens, singles and men and The Heart of the Five Love Languages.

Chapman was filmed presenting his popular message at the studios of Detroit Public Television in Wixom, Mich., where it aired in December 2009. The program is being released nationally on public television during this month’s fund-raising drive.

“Love as a topic is really universal, just like music,” said DPTV Media Label Manager Aimee Longato. “The information in this program is vital for all ages … whether you are a parent, newlywed, a spouse in a 10-, 20-, 30-plus year marriage or dating. When you start to speak your loved ones’ love language, you change the emotional climate of that relationship.”

Longato added that “with the high success of the book, it’s anticipated that this material is strongly needed and a visual offering of the material will help bring in new audiences who would rather hear the material delivered from the author as opposed to reading it.”

Janis Backing, publicity manager at Moody Publishers, said that there would be no promotions tied directly to the DVD, but the company planned to make people aware of the release through social media and at the official Five Love Languages Web site.

Moody had considered producing its own DVD, “but the cost of producing it in high definition and other factors have prevented us from doing so,” she added. “Dr. Chapman was invited by the DPTV group to present the message for their pledge drive in December, and so they decided to record it and create the DVD as a pledge gift along with the book.”