Scientology actually found the one guy who joined because of a Super Bowl ad

[Fabio, and the 2016 ad that got him]

In 2012, Scientology made a huge tactical mistake, suing a former Sea Org official named Debbie Cook. What was Cook’s crime? She had dared to send around an email to other Scientologists complaining about the direction leader David Miscavige was taking the church.

Cook’s attorney, the brilliant Ray Jeffrey, put Debbie on the witness stand at a temporary injunction hearing in a San Antonio courtroom, and after she spoke for a couple of hours about the horrors of the Sea Org, Scientology put up the white flag and paid Cook to end their own lawsuit. It was a legal bloodbath.

We’re bringing it up now because one of the things that Debbie Cook pointed out in her 2012 email was that Scientologists were forking over huge amounts of money, supposedly to “disseminate” Scientology to the public, and what did they have to show for it? Where were the advertising campaigns, the public outreach?

It was a criticism that apparently stung Miscavige deeply. Because a few months later, on February 3, 2013, Scientology debuted its first Super Bowl ad.

Top former executives told us there was no question in their minds that Miscavige’s bold move was directly related to Debbie Cook’s stinging criticism.

For the church, the ad was a huge success, gaining them not only a lot of views on the ad, but also substantial press.

And we have to point out, as we do every year, that the ads Scientology has put up at every Super Bowl since are not actually aired nationally. They are aired in select local markets only, and so Scientology does not pay the stupendous prices for ads in the Super Bowl broadcast itself, most recently topping out at $7 million for a 30-second spot during the 2022 game. (See all of Scientology’s Super Bowl ads, from 2013 to 2022, here.)

Scientology pays substantially less to appear in the few spots reserved during the broadcast for local advertisers, and in markets like Los Angeles, New York, and several others.

But Scientology is very aggressive about the ad placements in the weeks after the game, having it show up in prominent spots such as the Grammy Awards. There’s no doubt that Scientology does end up spending millions getting its ads aired.

And just as well known as Scientology is for its Super Bowl ads since 2013 is the reaction to them, which reaches annual heights of derision. Perhaps the most famous was Mr. Peanut’s reaction after the 2019 ad first played during the game.

Mr. Peanut @MrPeanut

Watching the @Scientology ad like...

In past years, we’ve had fun posting some of the other reactions from viewers bewildered to see that Scientology is advertising. As our readers know, those reactions can be brutal.

And we’ve explained to readers that Scientology’s actual audience for those ads are their own people, especially the wealthy donors that church leader Miscavige depends on to keep forking over the huge donations, year after year. The slick ads and the “mystery sandwich” they describe (the ads never actually describe what Scientology is) help give these donors the impression that Miscavige is doing what he can to bring new people into what is actually a dwindling membership.

We’ve said repeatedly over the years that we have serious doubts that the ads are actually bringing in any new people to the struggling organization.

But what’s this? In the new issue of Impact magazine there’s a full takeout on the ads, boasting about what a success they’ve been. And Scientology has actually tracked down the one guy who decided to join Scientology after seeing one of the ads!

Wow, this is good stuff. Here’s the story from the magazine…

Fabio Ferreira…had always sought answers to the bigger questions in life. As a college student, Fabio studied religion, philosophy and psychology — yet his questions remained unanswered. Fifteen years ago, he moved from Brazil to Northern California, where, as an electronics engineer and project manager, he worked on many innovative projects, including self-driving cars. But for all the excitement of creating cutting-edge products for Silicon Valley companies, he kept running headlong into problems he was ill-equipped to address. “I wanted to lead, but I didn’t work well with others, which led to many problems.” As he says, “I felt angry and sad.”

That began to change in February 2016. Fabio was at home watching the Super Bowl and saw an IAS-sponsored Scientology ad. He wanted to know more so he logged on to Scientology.org. An article on the cause of aberration got his attention. “I thought, ‘This is it — the reactive mind — that’s what is messing up my life.’ I knew I needed to learn more about it.” Within a week, Fabio had toured the Stevens Creek Ideal Org and completed several Scientology introductory courses.

As he continued in Scientology, Fabio’s life dramatically improved — especially his ability to relate to others. “After Pro TRs and Upper Indoc TRs, my communication skills skyrocketed.” He continued taking courses and each one expanded his abilities. “The Dianetics Auditor Course gave me the auditor perspective. I began actively listening and really paying attention to what another person is saying.”

Fabio continues to take every opportunity to progress on the Bridge. Having trained and reached the state of Clear, he’s now on the path to OT. In the six years since he watched an IAS-sponsored Super Bowl ad, Fabio has transformed his life with Scientology. “I was isolated and detached before, I had no trust in others. Now I have excellent relationships across all dynamics.”

After watching this year’s “We Are Giants” Super Bowl ad, which he described as “amazing,” Fabio sent the link to a number of friends and family members. “I am a product of a Super Bowl ad. It changed my life, and I want that to happen to everyone out there searching for answers.”

 
Now, if you’re still not convinced that spending the millions to produce and air the Super Bowl ads isn’t good money spent, there’s also the new TV channel that Miscavige unveiled in 2018.

Sure, we’ve made fun of Scientology TV because, well, it’s unwatchable church propaganda repeated endlessly day after day.

Ah, but you would be wrong to think that this too doesn’t have its own success story, and a dog is involved!

One evening, Pam, a nurse from Los Angeles, was folding her laundry and watching a show on TV when her dog knocked the remote control off the ottoman. When it hit the floor, it switched to Channel 320, the Scientology Network. “They had some stuff on about public service and going to poorer countries to help, which was interesting. So, I started to watch it.” Soon she was viewing it all the time. The programs not only filled her in about the Church’s humanitarian campaigns, they also answered many questions she had about the mind and spirit. “There was something I was missing,” she says, and through the network, she began to find what she was looking for.

That was the height of the pandemic in the US. Like many other health care workers, Pam was putting in long hours and was under a lot of stress. “We were working pretty hard, we were tired — and we were sad,” says Pam. “But we were committed.”

One evening on her way home from the hospital Pam dialed Directory Assistance, asked for a Scientology Church and was put through to the Inglewood Ideal Org, which was just 15 minutes from her home. Although it was closed to the public due to COVID restrictions, Pam got her initial questions answered, bought the Fundamentals of Thought Extension Course and began her Scientology adventure.

The stress of the pandemic wasn’t the only thing Pam was looking for help with. Ten years earlier, her life had been turned upside down when her brother and mother died within six months of each other. The double loss was devastating. Although she had done all she could for them, she still suffered from pangs of guilt.

Pam completed several Extension Courses, purchased the complete Basics Books and Lectures materials and, when the Inglewood Org reopened, she received auditing. “It felt like a brick had lifted off my shoulders,” she says about the combination of auditing and courses. “I came to realize that you have to deal with stuff to get ride of it.” Pam has done just that. She no longer suffers from guilt, knows where to look for the answers and is working on big plans for a bright future.

 
(That’s so Scientology, happy to cash in on someone’s devastating losses.)

OK, well, this changes everything. Now we can see that the untold millions (all tax-free and subsidized by you, the taxpayer) that David Miscavige has spent on Super Bowl ads and his TV channel is all worth it if it brought Fabio and Pam into the fold.

Hip, hip, hooray!

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Thank you for reading today’s story here at Substack. 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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