Nashville, Tenn. – Thomas Nelson Inc., one of the word’s oldest and largest Bible publishers, has another milestone in its yearlong celebration of the King James Version Bible’s 400th anniversary.
The company’s Bible Group Marketing Team has won the prestigious platinum MarCom award for its creative KJV400 marketing strategy. The global competition, touted as the largest of its kind in the world, recognizes “outstanding achievement by marketing and communication professionals.”

“What an honor to have this talented and dedicated group as part of the Thomas Nelson family,” says Mark Schoenwald, President and CEO of Thomas Nelson. “Through this campaign, our Bible Marketing Team continues to carry out the company’s mission, to inspire the world. The King James Bible is an integral part of Thomas Nelson’s foundation and this team has done a great job to educate consumers about its history and cultural influence.”

Competition entrants include media conglomerates and Fortune 500 companies. The entries are judged by the international organization Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals.

“Our marketing team well deserves having this spotlight shone on them,” says Gary Davidson, Thomas Nelson Senior Vice President and Bible Group Publisher. “Their exceptional creative programs are some of the best I’ve ever seen. I’m very proud of the work they do to spread God’s Word.”

It was 407 years ago that King James of England gathered 54 of the best biblical scholars and linguists of the day to create a new translation of the Bible. Thomas Nelson’s campaign to share the anniversary included the Bible Legacy Event at the National Religious Broadcasters Convention, a worldwide satellite media tour, partnerships with the History Channel and Salem Media Group, and recently a promotion on the CBS Times Square Jumbo Screen. A web site dedicated to the celebration – www.KJV400celebration.com – launched an online version of the Bible Legacy showcase, encouraging millions of people to view ancient biblical relics.

“It was a lot of hours and a lot of work, but it was worth it,” says Blake Aldridge, Senior Marketing Director of Thomas Nelson’s Bible Group. “The King James Version changed how the world viewed the Bible, and its legacy of language lives on today. We wanted everyone to understand how important that Bible translation is to their everyday lives, whether they realize it or not. It was a huge challenge, but this group likes challenges.”

The group’s efforts reached close to 63 million viewers through paid promotions, and countless more through publicity efforts in print, online, radio and television. Innovative design work by Thomas Nelson’s design team brought the past and present together in beautiful products that will be kept for generations. This award recognizes the dedicated perseverance of all those who worked for months to keep this version of God’s Word in the hearts of the world.

“It has been a privilege to be a part of a campaign that celebrates such a time-honored translation as the King James Version,” says Lindsay Williams, Bible Group Marketing Specialist. “This has been the largest campaign I’ve been a part of during my time at Thomas Nelson, and it’s been exciting to work on something with such a phenomenal reach! It’s been neat to see people’s reactions as they begin to understand how this translation has stood the test of time and influenced history for 400 years.”

Thomas Nelson Inc. is the world’s largest Christian publisher, with a mission to “inspire the world.” The company provides multiple formats of Bibles, inspirational books and digital content, with distribution of its products in more than 100 countries. Thomas Nelson is headquartered in Nashville, Tenn. Visit www.ThomasNelsonBibles.com for more information.

For image files, interview opportunities and more information, contact Julie Belschner, publicist, at jbelschner@thomasnelson.com or at 615.902.2244.