A Gay Ad Cheat Sheet

Okay people, I know we all can’t sit around, taking breaks from our “Real Housewives of New Jersey” marathons to watch all the gay themed ads out there. Well, I found some CliffsNotes on them for everyone to watch. I’ll say “you’re welcome” before you can even thank me. You’re welcome.

A few months ago to celebrate Gay Pride month, Adweek comprised a collection of The 50 Gayest Ads Ever. The list compiles many different types of TV ads from a wide range of products, such as airlines, fast food, jeans, gay marriage…and so on. There are clearly many other gay TV ads out there, but this is a good place to start.

Now, what I do like about this list are the categories that David Griner put the ads in, which are so…dead….ON! I noticed a lot of these themes while researching other ads and as we keep collecting more, I’m sure we’ll keep adding to them. They are:

Surprise, He/She Is Gay!

Don’t Tell Mom!

Swing Both Ways

Actually Straight

Lesbians Are Hot

Activist

Inclusive

The first five categories are extremely common, and most of the time not done very well. Each category deserves to be talked about individually because unless they’re done right, they're what needs to change in LGBT advertising. I smell future bloooog toooopics! (said in the style of a high-pitched falsetto voice or an Oprah introduction scream, I’ll let you pick)

Out of this list, here are a few that I really enjoy. Check them out below:

Silverjet - 2007 - U.K.

Absolut Cut - 2006 - Australia

Vodafone - 2005 - U.K. 

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Heinz - 2008 - U.K.

(Little side note: this ad got pulled because of 200...yes, 200 complaints. Um, yeah, more on that later)

Virgin Atlantic - 2004 - South Africa

EuroPride 2009 - 2009 - Switzerland

Israeli Gay Youth Organization - 2006 - Israel

Bianco Footwear - 2008 - Denmark

Travelocity - 2003 - U.K.

So what do you all think? Do you have a favorite? Any you think should or shouldn't be on there? Opinions? The floor is open people...

Favorite Gay Ad - Google Chrome "It Gets Better"

So, before I go any further, I wanted to talk about my personal favorite ad. As I was prepping and researching for this blog, I saw a LOT of commercials and a few really caught my interest. But one magical night in the middle of my Tuesday night ritual of "Glee" and pizza rolls, that all changed. I’m sure many of you have already seen it, but if not, watch right now. No, seriously, stop reading and watch. I’m not kidding...

Yes, this ad is for the Google Chrome browsing system and features the amazing It Gets Better Project started by Dan Savage and Terry Miller. First, let’s talk about the execution of the commercial itself. From the start, with the headlines mixed with the striking piano playing, it instantly grabs your attention. I don’t think anyone can deny that. The commercial tells the IGB story in a beautiful fashion, educating the viewer about the project while engaging them on the emotional effects it has had. The pacing of this really lets you absorb each component and gives you a true sense of how someone can change lives with a simple message. I’ve seen quite a few LGBT-themed ads and there are quite a lot out there that don’t have the perfect balance of accurately portraying the a gay theme while advertising the product at hand. After I saw this commercial, I was so touched by the subject matter, but at the same time got that anyone can send their message out to the whole world through these Google products. I think it’s very hard for companies to find that balance, and Google hit that nail right on the head.

I’m calling this commercial a milestone. Yup, I’m going that far, and here’s why. Google is one of the biggest companies in the entire world. With what they were advertising, there are so many different organizations that they could have picked to demonstrate the product. The fact that they decided to pick the It Gets Better Project to start off this campaign just shows what kind of balls Google has. Not only did they pick to focus on this LGBT theme, but they decided to air it on a primetime show on a major network, which just blows my mind. They knew that a lot of people watching "Glee" that night needed to hear this message and give inspiration to people struggling with their sexual identity. Most LGBT TV ads, as Adweek says, “rarely leave the comfort zone of Bravo and Logo,” but Google broke that barrier and made it mainstream, which is absolutely brilliant. I hate saying that this commercial is a “risk” for Google and that they “have balls” for what they’ve done, but I think the more companies that do this, the more it won’t be thought of as a “risk” in the future. And from what Google has done with this commercial, it’s a sign that we’re on our way...

What do you all think about this? Do you think Google broke the barriers with doing this ad or do you see it as just another gay-themed ad? 

Full Credits for "It Gets Better"