Scientology Ad Strategy Misses the Mark

UNDORSEMENT Radar item, Scientolgy Google ad

Admittedly, we haven't exactly taken it easy on the Church of Scientology, which is why we were perplexed when we recently discovered that ads for the Scientology Video Channel, like the one above, started popping up on our website. It's sort of like a Red Socks fan trying to persuade a bunch of Yankees fans that his team has a better shot at winning the pennant—he can certainly try, but it's inevitably an exercise in futility.

After some cursory Internet searching, we realized that we weren't alone: Scientology ads have also popped up on media gossip blog Jossip. Last we checked, we weren't accepting ad buys from L. Ron Hubbard and company, so what gives?

Google, that's what!