It’s a call and response etched in the minds of La Salle Academy alums, cadence and all.
“St. John Baptist De LaSalle –”
“Pray for us.”
“Live Jesus in our hearts –”
“Forever.”
And in the upcoming weeks, Rhode Islanders of all creeds and education backgrounds may become familiar with the prayer.
Wrestling with a lack of public visibility, the De LaSalle Christian Brothers – who run La Salle, Saint Raphael Academy, and a juvenile delinquency program, Ocean Tides – have started an advertising campaign aimed at spreading the good word about their work.
According to Christian Brothers Director of Development and Special Projects Edward J. Walsh, the campaign will include approximately 1,300 radio and cable television ads.
Walsh said the commercials will begin with the prayer recited by La Salle students.
The effort to promote the order grew out of a realization that people have very little idea about who the Christian Brothers are and what the group’s work consists of.
In a study commissioned by the organization last spring, the Christian Brothers found out that most people in the state are aware of the three schools it runs, Walsh said. However, he said virtually no one knows about the order itself.
In a state where senators, governors, judges and doctors call La Salle and Saint Raphael’s their alma maters, Walsh said the Christian Brothers are looking to raise awareness about the work the group does for disadvantaged and at-risk populations.
“We’re trying to connect the dots,” Walsh said. “People that know about La Salle don’t necessarily know about the Christian Brothers.”
In the future, a second phase of the advertising campaign is planned where the Christian Brothers will be looking to recruit members.
Where the first phase of the campaign targets people ages 35 to 60, those ads will likely target young men between the ages of 16 and 25 and run on more popular youth television and radio channels, Walsh said.
The campaign, which is costing the Christian Brothers about $40,000, kicked off at Christmas when the order ran advertisements on WEEI-FM, Lite-105-FM, WPRO-AM, 790-AM The Score and 920 AM-WHJJ.
On television, the ads featuring 16 La Salle students will air on 12 cable channels.
About 1,300 ads will be aired on television and radio.
Christian Brothers are also developing a video to promote its work, Walsh said. It is intended to be viewed by civic and religious groups, chambers of commerce and academic institutions.
