Lottery's Advertisement Featured Model Posing as Crucified Jesus
German Catholic and Protestant leaders expressed outrage after Sophia Thomalla posed on a cross in lingerie for a lottery company's promotion. The advertising included the slogan "Christmas is now even more beautiful."
Thomas Sternbert, President of the Central Committee of German Catholics criticized the promotion as "tasteless," saying that it was pathetic that the company believed it could only advertise by violating religious feelings. The Cultural Commissioner of the Evangelical Church in Germany, Johann Hinrich Claussen, said it was "pitiful and stupid.
Claussen went on to note that Christians have become used to ignoring such advertising and not being "hurt by such nonsense," but pointed out that the public reaction would likely have been different if the advertising had targeted Judaism or Islam.