Here's why you're suddenly seeing so many Scientology ads on TV

(Happy Boxing Day to our readers in proper countries!)

Last month, Scientology posted a press release and slideshow to describe what had gone on at the IAS gala in October at its UK headquarters, Saint Hill Manor.

Church leader David Miscavige, as usual, had given a three-hour speech to whip up the fervor of the couple of thousand followers who were in attendance on the first night, Scientology’s big donors were honored with new trophies on the second night, and a charity concert was held on the third.

Also attached to the press release were three new TV ads that Miscavige had premiered to the crowd on Friday night. We told you that we were especially interested in one of them, “Our Voice,” because it was a new, more creative format than the usual slick propaganda about “science plus religion” that we’re used to seeing in Scientology’s annual Super Bowl ad.

Well, it’s only becoming more clear that Miscavige and Scientology are putting a big effort behind these three new ads, which the church says in a new press release will be broadcast all over the place in the next several weeks…

Church of Scientology International announces the launch of its groundbreaking Global Welcome to Scientology campaign. Every day, millions of people ask, "What is Scientology?" In answer, the Global Welcome to Scientology campaign conveys the core values of the religion: its dedication to helping individuals realize their full potential, its Churches as centers of spiritual connection and its global movement as a force for positive change. Featuring Scientologists from all walks of life, the campaign will run for 10 weeks across 30 countries and in 17 languages.

We’ve started hearing from readers who say they’ve been seeing the ads, and with college bowl games and NFL playoff games coming, we have a feeling you’re going to be seeing a lot more of them.

So, let’s take another look at all three ads, as well as the special website that Scientology has set up for the campaign…

The first ad in the website is “Our Voice,” which you can find at Scientology’s YouTube channel. (It’s referred to as “Our People” at the campaign website.)

We told you previously that the woman who leads off the commercial is Scientologist and actress Wyni Landry. And we acknowledged that the ad is clever and more creative than the usual thing Scientology puts out. Here it is once again. We want your thoughts on whether you think this approach will break through in a way other ads haven’t.

The second ad listed at the website is “Our Church,” and it’s in the more traditional Scientology style.

Here is the narration…

What if there was a place that was different

Where unsolvable problems could be solved

Where science and religion combined

A new kind of place with a technology to unleash your full potential

And unlock the secrets of life itself

It sounds impossible

But you don't have to believe it

You can experience it

And discover the true power

Of you

In other words, it’s the usual “mystery sandwich” approach, providing a lot of atmosphere and the usual very diverse looking hip youngsters who are suddenly in awe of Scientology structures in their town that typically house aging white people.

What the ad doesn’t do is tell you anything about Scientology’s actual practices and processes, which eventually have you spending huge sums of money to retrieve your memories of living on other planets billions and trillions of years ago. (And what a great ad that would make, right?)

Scientology has been running this vague, atmospheric ad, in various forms, for more than a decade now with almost nothing to show for it. Which may be why they are trying out the more unusual approach of the “Our Voice” spot.

At the campaign website, this “Our Church” ad is paired with a collection of images of the new Ideal Orgs that Miscavige has opened since 2003.

The third ad is titled “Our Movement,” and here is the narration…

We know the questions

We know the stereotypes

We've heard it all

But we also know

Who we are

Mothers. Fathers. Doctors. Artists. Athletes. Chimney sweeps.

Rebels and freethinkers

Citizens of more than 180 nations

United by a common purpose

To make life better

For all people

All faiths. All cultures.

And if someone doesn't like it...

Tough.

It's not just what you believe

It's what you stand for

We stand for compassion. For tolerance. For truth. For humanity.

And we stand...

For you.

No matter what you may face

We're with you

And our help is yours

Well, they’re really laying it on thick in this one. Showing Volunteer Ministers literally pulling little kids out of some natural disaster to that kind of narration, wow.

At the campaign website, this ad is followed by these images representing Scientology’s sneaky front groups…

From left to right that’s Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR), the unhinged group that advocates against psychiatry; United for Human Rights and its various subgroups (Youth for Human Rights, Artists for Human Rights, etc.) which attempts to cover up for Scientology’s human rights abuses by “promoting” the UN’s 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights; Foundation for a Drug-Free World, which gives the impression that it is fighting against illicit drug abuse, but actually wants to eradicate all drugs of any kind no matter how useful they are; The Way to Happiness Foundation, which is L. Ron Hubbard’s repackaging of anodyne moral precepts that the church conveniently ignores; and Volunteer Ministers, who show up at the scene of natural disasters to manufacture photo opportunities.

Three ads, a new website, a global “welcome campaign” running in 30 countries.

You can’t say that Scientology doesn’t keep trying, or that David Miscavige isn’t willing to shell out donor cash for these recruitment efforts.

Will this be the campaign that will finally begins to reverse Scientology’s decades-long decline?

Let us know what you think.

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Continuing our year in review: The stories of June 2024

Nearly three years after he was jailed in Tennessee, we finally got our hands on the actual grand jury indictments of Justin Craig, a/k/a Lafayette Ronald Hubbard or LRH 2.0. It turns out that “Ron” is facing some very serious and violent charges after all.

In one of our most fun reveals of the year, we managed to unmask “Martin Landon,” the byline of Scientology’s nasty STAND blogger who attacks critics of the church in such an unhinged style. Turns out it’s none other than mild-mannered feel-good Dianetics peddler Michael Lewis, father of the late Sons of Anarchy star Johnny Lewis. Michael, what are you doing with your life, man?

In May we had posted a new version of the Scientology employment contract, and Claire Headley then provided us with some insight about what workers are really signing up for.

Although Valerie Haney described the abuse she was enduring in Scientology’s farcical and endless “religious arbitration,” Judge Gail Killefer predictably declared that there was nothing she could do about it and Valerie would just have to endure even more of it.

We marveled at the deluxe life of John Travolta’s very special friend Jimmy Marino.

What a treat, a mid-year update on Scientology’s wealthy donors from Impact magazine.

Subscribers really got a bonus when Mike Rinder joined us for an episode of Group Therapy!

Five years after their lawsuits began, trial finally began for David Smith and Susanne Gold-Smith against former Scientology private eye Yanti Michael Greene, a/k/a Michael Moretti Ford Cruz. The next day, the judge was able to convince both sides to settle, but not before we were able finally to piece together the horrifying truth of what Greene was using as leverage in the case.

Maybe the strangest exclusive we’ve had in a long time: Scientology’s richest donor Trish Duggan had convinced Swiss authorities to jail another of Scientology’s megadonors on her own allegations that he was swindling her. The jailed man, Ivan Gaspari, called us numerous times from jail to explain that he was using Trish’s money because they both wanted to create a new company that would donate profits to the church. What a bizarre situation.

It was in June that Whitney Mills’ mother Leila Mills filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Scientology for her daughter’s 2022 suicide. The lawsuit alleges that while Whitney, 40, was going through a severe mental health crisis, her fellow Scientologists convinced her to end her life rather than seek help from the hated psychiatric profession.

Scientology responded to the lawsuit that it was untrue the church has an “end cycle” instruction about giving up on the current lifetime. And that elicited numerous responses from our ex-Scientologist readers who assured us that this concept is quite common in the church. Sunny Pereira was one of those who helped us out on this one.

Valeska Paris and the Baxters filed a new motion with a Tampa federal court, asking it to look at a new US Supreme Court ruling to reconsider forcing their trafficking lawsuit into Scientology “arbitration.”

Swiss authorities, after jailing Ivan Gaspari solely on Trish Duggans’ accusations, did charge him and set a trial date.

A LOOK BACK AT JUNE 2023: Judge Charlaine Olmedo ordered Danny Masterson’s attorneys to appear and discuss evidence leaked to Scientology. She ruled that defense attorneys Tom Mesereau and Sharon Appelbaum were responsible for it. We got the distressing news that Mike Rinder had been diagnosed with stage four esophageal cancer. Judge Thomas Barber granted Valeska Paris and the Baxters the right to appeal his ruling about Scientology “religious arbitration.” With Masterson convicted, we could now tell the story of Damian Perkins, a remarkable witness. Chicago Fire star Christian Stolte stopped by the podcast. Independent Scientologist Victoria Palmer ran for Seattle City Council. Jane Doe 1’s forced-marriage lawsuit against Scientology was unsealed. The state dropped its case against Rizza Islam just as his trial started. Yashar Ali had a bombshell report about Shelly Miscavige and her meeting with the LAPD in 2013.

A LOOK BACK AT JUNE 2022: California Supreme Court refuses to dismiss rape charges against Danny Masterson. Michael Peña and his wife Brie Shaffer join the Scientologists moving from Los Angeles to Clearwater, Florida. Joy Villa spotted staffing a Scientology table in Brighton. After Roe v. Wade, we asked Claire Headley how it might affect Scientology.

A LOOK BACK AT JUNE 2021: An indication that Scientology was calling the shots in Danny Masterson’s defense, and why he needed to sell his Hollywood Hills home in a hurry. Video leak of a crazy Austin fundraiser. The Bunker lost Puget Buckeye. And then the world lost Ron Miscavige.

A LOOK BACK AT JUNE 2020: Scientology orgs were being boarded up for questionable reasons. Danny Masterson’s stepdad Rusty Tweed was sued for running a Ponzi scheme. Mark Bunker got bizarre records requests from Scientology. LA’s DA finally charged Danny Masterson for three rapes. And we pointed out there was a good reason he changed his DJ name in 2004, the year one of his alleged rape victims went to the LAPD. Derek Bloch wrote us another killer piece, on disconnection. And why Tom Mesereau’s private investigator might become a key witness for the prosecution>

A LOOK BACK AT JUNE 2019: Chris Owen demonstrated how L. Ron Hubbard sought to prop up the apartheid government in South Africa in 1960s. Mark Bunker announced that he was going to run for city council in Clearwater. A national legal team starts its onslaught on Scientology, filing a lawsuit on behalf of Valerie Haney. Journal claims L. Ron Hubbard never falsely claimed to have a college degree, so we published a letter to prove it. HowdyCon took place in our ancestral homeland, Los Angeles. We didn’t get invited to Tommy Davis’s wedding.

A LOOK BACK AT JUNE 2018: Chris Owen uncovered a previously unpublished and damning testament by the ‘world’s first true Clear,’ John McMaster. Actress Erika Christensen dropped a few interesting details in a conversation with Dax Shepard. HowdyCon was held in Chicago, and we revealed the cover of our new book with Paulette Cooper. Actor Christian Stolte was the star of the show with a song about Scientology. Sunny Pereira had three big pieces about a shooting in Portland, more about how children are raised in Scientology, and another slice of Sea Org horror.

A LOOK BACK AT JUNE 2017: Leah Remini’s stepmother Donna Fiore was being hounded by Scientology for dirt on her stepdaughter. Handbag designer Rebecca Minkoff stepped up her support of Scientology front groups. Marty Rathbun started posting attack videos against his former allies, prompting responses from your proprietor, Gary Morehead, Victoria Britton, Paul Haggis, and John Brousseau. And HowdyCon 2017 went down in Denver.

A LOOK BACK AT JUNE 2016: We marked Muhammad Ali’s passing with a look at a Scientology video he was in. We published Dani Lemberger’s “declare.” And we broke the news that Leah Remini was shooting a television series.

A LOOK BACK AT JUNE 2015: We wrote about that time Jim Jones talked about Paulette Cooper from his Guyana compound. We wrote about a person in our book, the inspirational Len Zinberg. We did some live-blogging from the epic Toronto conference organized by Jon Atack. We broke the news that Scientologist Ponzi schemer Reed Slatkin had died. Some poor schlub went to prison after trying to hack Mike Rinder and your proprietor on behalf of Scientology. And we had our biggest audience yet with Paulette Cooper in Clearwater, the belly of the beast.

A LOOK BACK AT JUNE 2014: Another distressing disconnection story: Where is Sami Sterne? A rare audio recording captures L. Ron Hubbard and his wife Mary Sue using an e-meter to come up with the space cooties portion of Scientology. Why we think Original OT 8 is not a hoax — the George White story.

A LOOK BACK AT JUNE 2013: Channel 4’s documentary about Marty Rathbun, Scientologists at War, Neil Gaiman’s Scientology history behind his novel The Ocean at the End of the Lane, and Joe Childs on Denise Gentile’s blunts.

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For the full picture of what’s happening today in the world of Scientology, please join the conversation at tonyortega.org, where we’ve been reporting daily on David Miscavige’s cabal since 2012. There you’ll find additional stories, and our popular regular daily features:

Source Code: Actual things founder L. Ron Hubbard said on this date in history

Avast, Ye Mateys: Snapshots from Scientology’s years at sea

Overheard in the Freezone: Indie Hubbardism, one thought at a time

Past is Prologue: From this week in history at alt.religion.scientology

Random Howdy: Your daily dose of the Captain

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