Christians in the UK are less than impressed by the standard of Christian advertising, a survey has found.

The ComRes poll, commissioned by Premier Christian Media, looked at the views of 559 Christian adults in the UK.

When asked what they thought of the quality of advertisements designed to promote the Christian message to non-Christians, only a third of respondents (39%) said it was favourable. Almost as many (31%) were unimpressed.

More than half of those polled (52%) felt that Christian adverts do not effectively engage non-Christians.

Respondents were generally positive about the 'Christmas Starts with Christ' , the UK's biggest church advertising poster campaign.

The ChurchAds group ran the ads on national radio and in newspapers just before Christmas.

They cast a different light on the nativity scene, showing trendy twenty somethings in stylish fashion offering luxury gifts to the infant in a designer crib.

Nearly half of respondents (49%) agreed that the adverts were a good way of engaging non-Christians with the Christmas message.

The campaign is supported by Premier Christian Radio and is set to run over five years, with a different design coming out each Christmas.

Francis Goodwin, of ChurchAds, said the aim of the campaign was to make the 2,000 year old story relevant to today.

"We’re living in a consumer society where the meaning of Christmas is often lost," she said.

"So, while millions of people are heading to shopping centres across the UK they won’t be able to miss this backlit message: 'However you dress it up.... Christmas Starts with Christ'.

"It puts Christ into the heart of Christmas in a simple and effective way.”