Billboard campaigns
Commonly, in very religious countries, a great many people do not know what atheism is or even that there are people who do not believe in any gods. And, all too often, those who are familiar with the word atheism associate it with dogmatic arrogance or with devil-worship, immorality, drinking blood or other activities that put such people beyond the pale.
It is part of AAI’s mission to normalize atheism, so one of the first tasks in such countries is to get people talking about it and, in the process, to expel the myths. When people understand what atheism is, they soon realize it is nothing to be afraid of.
Billboard campaigns are a good way to initiate the dialogue. They inevitably generate media interest and public discussion, and atheists will be called upon to explain. A good campaign can stay in the news for several weeks and result in newspaper interviews and articles, and radio and TV appearances.
Billboard campaigns have a secondary objective too—to recruit new members for the atheist group sponsoring them.
AAI recently funded a billboard campaign in Guatemala City…