Christian Retailing

Store's 'stake in the ground' promotion Print Email
Written by Eric Tiansay   
Monday, 04 January 2010 03:58 PM America/New_York
A church bookstore is flying the flag--literally--to help promote its congregation's new musical release.

Those who purchase a copy of the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir's new CD, Declare Your Name, at the famous New York City church's Bell Tower Christian Books & Gifts store, are being given a miniature copy of one of the purple flags featured on the disc's cover.

Then they are being invited to submit a photograph of themselves raising the flag in an unusual location, with a grand prize planned for the winning entry. The store ordered 6,000 of the hand-sized flags, with 2,500 already distributed.

Kevin Lewis, bookstore manager and choir administrator, said that inviting people to raise the flag-whose purple denotes royalty--in different places was intended to encourage them to be part of declaring the majesty and lordship of Jesus, the theme of the 13-song recording.

The cover of Declare Your Name--distributed by Integrity Music and released in November--features photographs of a purple flag flying at various locations around the world, including the Great Wall of China, Big Ben in London and at the United Nations headquarters and the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City.

Robert Brenner, vice president of worship and resource product marketing at Integrity Music, said that the promotion echoed the CD's message that "we as Christians need to put our 'stake in the ground' and proclaim the lordship of Christ everywhere."

In a separate promotion, the company is inviting purchasers to submit a YouTube video of themselves singing to one of the new tracks, with the winner being invited to perform at the church with the choir.

Declare Your Name, the GRAMMY- and Dove Award-winning choir's 28th album, features guest appearances by Israel Houghton, Paul Baloche and Jonathan Butler.