Even a fashion statement related to Mel Gibson’s movie “The Passion of the Christ” is reverberating in public discourse.
Pewter nail pendants, inscribed on the side with “Isaiah 53:5” (the verse that opens the film) and hung from leather cords, are selling out across the country, including at LifeWay Christian Store at 150 W. Chicago Ave.
They’re most popular among 13- to 25-year-old males, said Dwight Robinson, marketing director for the pendants’ maker, Bob Siemon Designs of Southern California, one of the companies licensed by Gibson to produce items promoting the film.
“A lot of younger people out there are looking for a way to express their faith in a unique way,” Robinson said.
Along with crosses, the company has sold more than a quarter of a million pieces of the jewelry, he said.
“It’s been very busy around here,” Robinson said.
Like other bookstores, LifeWay in Chicago also sold out of the coffee-table book “The Passion” from Carol Stream-based Tyndale House Publishers, with a foreword by Gibson and photos taken on the set of the film. (List price is $24.99.) LifeWay was expecting a fresh supply any day.
The movie soundtrack from Sony has sold more than 100,000 copies. LifeWay was down to two at last check.
“A lot of us knew this [movie] would be significant,” said Andy Feliksiak, manager of the Lifeway store in Chicago, “but not to the extent that it’s turned out to be.”
Check www.sharethepassionofthechrist.com (the Siemon site) or www. lifewaystores.com.