Opinion: This is Why the Super Bowl 'Foot Washing' Ad is Getting Backlash

Regardless of whether you watch the Super Bowl or not, you will know that it is a big deal for companies to get their ads aired during the sporting event.

However, the "He Gets Us" campaign has sparked outrage after its two ads aired during Super Bowl LVIII, due to its links with Hobby Lobby.

The Ad Was About Christianity

In the ad, it shows various people washing the feet of others in their community.

This is said to be a portrayal of what Jesus did in the Bible, as he washed his disciples' feet.

The Campaign Spreads the Message of ‘Love Thy Neighbor’

The "He Gets Us" campaign is meant to spread Jesus’ message of "love thy neighbor," according to the He Gets Us website.

They had two ads scheduled to go out during Super Bowl LVIII, with one going out after the first quarter and the other going out after the second.

The First Ad Shows People Washing Feet

The ad airing during the first quarter was the one that sparked the most controversy and was the one where people were shown washing feet.

Examples of this were a young man washing his elderly relative’s feet, a police officer washing a Black man’s feet, and a pro-life protester washing a pro-choice supporter’s feet.

The Second Ad Was Titled ‘Know Your Neighbor’

While the second ad wasn’t about foot washing, it didn’t help calm the outrage that people were already feeling.

It showed an unhoused woman begging at a car window, and the commercial stated that your neighbor is the one you don’t “notice, value, or welcome,” as reported by Fox Business. 

‘He Gets Us’ Wanted to Focus on Love

According to the He Gets Us website, the campaign group wanted to focus on love this year.

The campaign group said that as 2024 will likely be a divisive year, they wanted to portray love in their ads instead of hate, and to encourage many to think and do the former rather than the latter.

Hobby Lobby Supports ‘He Gets Us’

Hobby Lobby is a popular chain of crafts stores, and its co-founder, David Green, and his family financially support the campaign, as reported by Forbes.

The entire family is said to be worth $15.3 billion, and many are outraged that these Christian donors have put their money toward this campaign.

Hobby Lobby Called 'Anti-LGBTQ'

As with most outrageous situations these days, many users took to social media to slam the campaign and Hobby Lobby’s links to it.

The craft store had previously prevented an employee, a transgender woman, from using a woman’s restroom. As a result, the store was ordered to pay $220,000 and was ruled to have violated the Human Rights Act, according to Forbes.

TikTokers Have Broken Down the Ad

With TikTok now being a place for people to share their thoughts and opinions on anything in great detail, this is exactly what people decided to do.

Some TikTokers decided to look deeper into the meaning behind the ads, and showed that not all was as it seemed at first glance.

The Ad Is About 'White Evangelical Judgementalism'

One TikToker, Kevin Carnahan, took to the app to share that he believes the foot-washing ad is promoting “white evangelical judgementalism.”

He pointed out that all the people washing the feet were what Christians typically view as "good," and that the people who were having their feet washed are typically seen by Christians as "bad."

‘He Gets Us’ Was Launched by The Signatry

The Signatry is a nonprofit organization that launched "He Gets Us," however, they have made donations to the Alliance Defending Freedom, as reported by Open Democracy.

Some of their litigation has included fighting to get abortion pills taken off shelves and defending pro-life centers. 

‘He Gets Us’ Has Recently Changed Ownership

The "He Gets Us" campaign is now owned by the nonprofit organization "Come Near," which they changed to in 2023.

Come Near’s CEO is Ken Calwell, and according to LinkedIn, the organization’s main objective is to share “the life and love of Jesus in thought-provoking new ways.”

The Campaign Displays a Great Sense of Irony

With "He Gets Us" hoping its ads would help unite people and not push hatred, they have now been branded with a great sense of irony.

Due to the amount of controversy the ads have caused, The Washington Post stated that instead of uniting people, all they have done is “foment hostility.”