Zondervan has pushed up the release date of its controversial new Bible, Today's New International Version (TNIV), by two weeks to ride a wave of free publicity created by Rolling Stone magazine's refusal to run an ad for the twentysomething-oriented translation. The popular entertainment magazine has reversed its ban on an ad for the TNIV, but not before sparking a flurry of media coverage.

Rolling Stone has announced it will run the ad in its Feb 24 issue, which hits newsstands Feb. 11. Zondervan had bought space in Rolling Stone in July for the February ad, but magazine executives decided earlier this month it didn't "quite feel right."

The Christian publisher had been banking on the spot in Rolling Stone to help reach 18-to 34-year-olds as part of a $1 million TNIV marketing campaign designed to reach young adults largely disconnected from the church. When the magazine rejected the ad, Zondervan executives were sought after for comment from media outlets such as FOXNews and CNN.

The TNIV will start hitting shelves Feb. 1, two weeks earlier than the original release date.

A full story will appear in the Feb. 21 issue of Christian Retailing.

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