The Official Newspaper of the Diocese of Little Rock
Super Bowl LVIII watchers saw three faith-based commercials during the televised Feb. 11 showdown in Las Vegas between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers.
The Catholic prayer app Hallow ran a 30-second commercial featuring Catholic actors Mark Wahlberg and Jonathan Roumie. According to Hallow, the advertisement "will encourage fans to take time away from the spectacle of the big game and enjoy a moment of prayer on the Lord's day."
Wahlberg, who played prizefighter-turned-priest Father Stuart Long in the 2022 biopic "Father Stu," is helping to lead Hallow's annual #Pray40 Lent prayer challenge, which begins Ash Wednesday, Feb. 14, three days after the ad aired.
Pray40 also features Roumie, who portrays Jesus in the popular series "The Chosen." Roumie voices other Hallow audio content, including the Divine Mercy Chaplet, scriptural rosary and daily Gospel readings.
"The goal at Hallow has always been to reach out to as many folks as possible, both those who take their faith seriously and especially those who might have fallen away, and invite them deeper into a relationship with God," said Alex Jones, Hallow co-founder and CEO, in a statement announcing the commercial.
A teaser for the commercial posted on YouTube showed Wahlberg in a church dipping his hand in holy water and making the sign of the cross, and Roumie receiving ashes. Wahlberg says, "God, we take this moment," as the screen reads, "For the first time ever, join over 100 million people in prayer during the Big Game. ... Pray this Lent with Hallow."
According to Hallow's media statement, the commercial is expected to run "shortly before halftime."
A recent survey by NRF and Prosper Insights & Analytics found that a record 200.5 million U.S. adults planned to watch this year's game. A 30-second Super Bowl commercial spot reportedly costs around $7 million.
Launched in December 2018, Hallow has more than 10,000 guided prayer sessions. It claims to be the No. 1 Catholic app in the world, with more than 10 million downloads across more than 150 countries.
After appearing at the Super Bowl for the first time last year, ads from the He Gets Us campaign also are expected to run during this year's game. Backed by Hobby Lobby co-founder and Christian David Green, last year's ads presented Jesus as relatable and compassionate, and encouraged people to love their enemies.
This year's ads — a 60-second spot followed later by a 15-second spot — focused on loving one's neighbor as Jesus did.
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