"Roll"-in With The Homies...

Sean's Top List of Why He Loves The End Of The Year/Start Of The New Year

-It's (kinda) winter, which means layering, which means multiple outfit options.

-In those outfits, I get to break out my $8 Target flannel button-ups.

-Being able to put 30 pounds of blankets, plus my heated mattress pad on high when I dream sweet dreams. 

-The smell of cinnamon for some reason intensifies and just smells like magic and hope.

But one of my favorite things around this time of the year are all the lists of "Top ____ of 20__" that everyone comes out with. They're like mini scrapbooks about extremely specific subjects that make you look back and say, "Ah, 2011, remember when the baby names Emma and Mason were just SOOOOOOO hot?"

As I was looking though these lists, I found one that really caught my eye and I needed to share. The Advertising Standards Bureau listed the 10 most complained ads in Australia in 2011. Below are some print ads in the list, along with how many complaints they received. Let's take a look, shall we?

I mean...wow. There it is people, the most complained about ad in Australia isn't a woman in front of the word "Sex" with some strategically placed duct tape, and it's not three women eager to use their tools in a ménage à trois (or would it be a foursome? Is the person reading the ad included? Oh, the mysteries in life). Nope, by a landslide, the most complained ad is of two men, fully clothed, hugging, and one is holding a condom cause protection is the bees knees.

Now, I remember my Aussie mate Matthew telling me about this "Rip and Roll" ad a while back, and it just shocked me that people were so offended by it. Apparently, it was the whole uproar was started by The Australian Christian Lobby (surprise, surprise) and all 45 bus posters were taken down by Adshel, the company that owns the ad spaces. Check out the video below (note: this was before the complaints were dismissed and ads were put back up):

I mean, how is this offensive? If anything, it's an extremely positive ad promoting safe sex. This is just a perfect example of how some people can be so ignorant and go right for the "TWO GAY GUYS AHHHHHHHHHHH!" complaint, vs seeing the ad for what it's promoting. But the fact that the number of complaints the print version has is almost three times...yes...THREE TIMES the about of complaints the second most complained ad has, now that's just utterly ridiculous. 

But "halleloo" for the Advertising Standards Bureau, who dismissed the complaints and released this statement:

"The Advertising Standards Board dismissed complaints about the ad as it was strongly in favour of the important health message the advertisement portrays... It considered that while some members of the community would prefer not to see this issue advertised, the public health message overrides any social sensitivity." 

Ridiculous...absurd...but good for the Advertising Standards Bureau for sticking to their guns and seeing the ad as a positive message. Once again, let's hope that people will be able to get past their "Gay people are bad" filter and accept that we're here...and not going anywhere.

And that's the end of that.  Now if you excuse me, I have cinnamon candle fumes to enjoy... 

Back to Zero...

Well look at what the Gay Gods brought upon us here in Times Square...

It's baaaaaaaaack! Queerty reported today the oh-so-infamous Manhunt ad I reported about earlier is now one of a few ads rolling on a giant screen billboard in Times Square and in the eyes of millions of tots and their parents during this jolly season. Now that it's up in the same location that the Michael Korrs ad is depicting...well, let's go with depicting a girl getting her Christmas gift early this year, I'm anxious to see what kind of complaints these parents will come up with...

Is That A Photoshopped "Banana" In There? Or Are You Just Having A Merry Christmas?

Okay, ready to see how Photoshop can CHANGE THE WORLD!?!?! Okay, not that dramatic, but it's amazing how a little retouching can change everything...

So I was breezing though the new Out Magazine and came across the ad below. 

So yay! Here's a cute holiday ad for Banana Republic, again, advertised in Out Magazine, talking about how they're among the "Best Places To Work For LGBT Equality" by HRC (woot!), featuring two rather attractive fellas...

Or is it?

One the SAME DAY I bought the magazine, I ventured over to the BR with some boos so one of them could buy a trench coat (and he gave me his old one...win win situation people). As we were checking out, I saw the exact same picture, but with one more guy in it! Take a look below:

Where did the other guy come from? I mean, he's also very attractive and I do not mind it one bit, but who dat?

(Side note: As I was taking this picture, a worker came up to me and asked if I needed any help. I freaked out, probably for no reason at all, put my phone down and go "Oh, haha, no, just, uhhhh, looking at the pants" as I dart towards the great wall o' khakis, pulling several random pairs of pants out...)

Now, the reason I wanted to post this is to show an example of what companies do to create "gay" ads. From my expert opinion (which is not expert at all) it seems the picture with the three men is the original image that was shot. For the ad placed in Out, the guy on the right was photoshopped out, they put the HRC info, and BAM, gay ad. I showed one of my friends who used to work for the agency responsible for BR ads, and they said it probably was just a formatting issue and that's why they took him out. Fair enough, and possibly true, but when I first saw it the in a gay magazine, it came off to me as two gay men modeling some beautiful plaid shirts. And because it was two, my first thought was they were a couple. Just my own personal observation. Funny how the mind works, isn't it? 

I understand a lot of companies probably don't want to put in a lot of extra money to make a gay-themed ad, which is understandable, and I think it's interesting how just a few tiny modifications to an ad can change the entire message. As much as I would love for companies to invest a good amount of time (and possibly money) towards making ads targeting their LGBT customers, I think BR proves it doesn't take much to create something that can a) show support for the community and b) increase business by targeting to a different cliental.

For those who are interested, HRC just came out with the 2012 list of Best Places To Work (Gap, which owns BR, is still on the list). Check out the full list here. 

MORE Interpretation of Putting A Ring On It

Like Cabbage Patch Kids or eight ball pog slammers, I found a trend for y'all...

If you recall, I posted a few weeks ago about local Kansas jewelry store Tevol releasing a billboard that featured two men, one with his arm around the other, looking at some wedding bands. Just to recap, I was a tad bit annoyed with the fact they said the ad was open to interpretation and not coming out (no pun intended...JK LOL BFF it totally is) saying if it was or wasn't meant to be a gay couple.

Well, mamma's got ANOTHER local jewelry store that put out an ad featuring two women, and this time they flat out saying, "Why yes! It IS a lesbian couple! And?" Check out the picture of the couple below and head over to CBS Baltimore to watch the news story:

This time, it's local Baltimore jewelry store Charles Nusinov and Sons that ran an ad in various local newspapers with the headline "Let's Grow Old Together" featuring various couples, including lesbians! Vice President Sydney Nusinov stated his reasonings for including a lesbian couple: "I think same-sex couples just want the same American dream that straight couples want...From a business standpoint, I think it would help us to have a whole new subsection of customers getting married." Preach gurl...eh...man. He even says they're getting positive responses for the ad, and when the TV crew showed it to random people, all of them were not bothered by it at all. Now, not to say everyone feels that way, but it's great to see these people not really worry about how they're advertising to the LGBT community. 

Now, I've always thought local companies have a such an advantage/risk with advertising to the LGBT community. They have the a bit more freedom with their advertisements and the content they include, which is a plus, but also it's a bit more "risky" because the clientele is much smaller. So if a large part of the community doesn't like the fact they included LGBT figures in their ads, it could have a negative effect on them, which is horrible. I commend Charles Nusinov and Sons for doing this ad and standing behind the content. Even though gay marriage isn't legal in Maryland (yet) they still chose to tastefully support the community while opening up to a new type of clientele for their business. It's a great example for other companies looking to do ads like these that it CAN work and it CAN help the business. I mean, if more business' could think this way a) I'd have a lot more content for your viewing pleasure and b) it could help open people's minds to the subject and get us closer to the equal rights we deserve. 

Props to my sista from the SAME mista Elizabeth for sending me this!

Orbitz and Go...GAY!

Huge congrats to our peeps at Orbitz!

Orbitz Worldwide CEO Barney Harford was recognized by the Human Rights Campaign and accepted the 2011 HRC Corporate Equality Award for their DECADE of LGBT advertising! You can watch the video here on Facebook. (Mamma could not find a YouTube video, therefore I can't put it on here. Fail.) If you can't see it, below are some some written highlights from his speech:

"For over a decade, Orbitz has recognized the importance of being LGBT inclusive. As CEO, I recognize the importance of our inclusive advertising and our policy of non-discrimination, not only in helping the Orbiz brand resinate with travelers, but also in helping change public opinion on LGBT equality...I hope that doing the right thing and respecting the rights of all employees is just the way things are done and we won't need to call individual companies like Orbitz."

He also reads a letter he received from a woman that a) thanks Orbitz for their humorous and inclusive ads and b) talks about the similarities to this and racial issues in advertising in the 50s and 60s. Coincidentally, my wonderful mother also sent me an email pointing out the same thing a few days ago! (She's just so with it. Love ya Mom.) She said as she was watching a TV ad I posted, a commercial before it featured an interracial couple, which today most people don't even think twice about, but back then it would've been a huge deal. The civil rights movement and issues with race have always been compared to the current struggles the LGBT community is facing now, and I think advertising is defiantly a great example to show the similarities of the two.

I think this speech is fantastic and really sums up why I started this blog. If you remember, it was an Orbitz commercial that first sparked my interest in this subject, so it's great to see them get recognized for their work. Their approach of using humorous ads in order to put the subject out there without being "in-your-face" and with the goal for these ads to not be an issue in the future is, just, brilliant.

If you're unfamiliar with Orbitz LGBT advertising, check out a few TV commercials below. (Found on YouTube. Score!) First is a great summary of their previous ads in TV, print, and radio, and the rest are a few newer TV ads. Also be sure to head on over to their website and Facebook page to learn more.

What do you all think? Do you enjoy these advertisements? Do you think the fact that Orbitz has done this for ten years has made an impact on LGBT advertisements?

Absolut-ely Fabulous

Okay people, I have another entry about vodka. I know, I'm feeling a little buzzed too, but bare with me, it's worth it.

My friends Amanda and Heather sent me this wonderful article The New York Times published yesterday that talks all about Absolut Vodka and their advertising/marketing towards the gay community. This is a must-read to catch you up on the history of their involvement with the LGBT community. But, the most exciting thing about this article is that Absolut will be releasing a new campaign to celebrate their 30 YEARS of advertising/marketing to the LGBT community! Not only that, but we get a first glimpse of an AMAZING print ad from the campaign:

Did your heart explode? No? Did you just glance at it? Okay I'll give you another chance to really look at it. Let's just post it again so you can save your mouse from moving back up...

Ob.Sessed. That's all I'm saying. I mean, just looking at this gives me chills. I think the art direction and what photographer David LaChapelle did is borderline genius. From the subjects photographed (i.e. Amanda Lepore, unicorns, you know, the usual) to the placement of everything, to the all around fabulousness of this (yes, that really is the only word to describe this) it comes together to create one breathtaking image. It's a perfect example of and ad where you can be walking down the street, quickly see it on the side of some phone booth, and just get the feeling their going for instantly. One big ol' gay celebration of living life and having fun, out and proud! And unlike other Absolute ads that just feature the bottle in different settings, this gives you so much to look at while at the same time making you beg for more. Did I mention I like the art direction in this ad?

I really love the copy as well. The "Absolut OUTrageous" line is very similar to other Absolut ads, however the line "Celebrating 30 years of going out and coming out" just is the icing on the cake. Sums up the brands history with the LGBT community, ties the product in, and celebrates this amazing culture we have.

To me, THIS is what I think LGBT ads should be like. It's very obvious that the company took a lot of time and thought to create something very creative, and in turn it shows that they really do care about their LGBT market. I am so excited to see the rest of this campaign, and will fo sho update you all as soon as it's out.

Absolut has pretty much become a staple in this small gay advertising world. They started in 1981, which at that time was thought of as an enormous risk for a mainstream company. But, peeps knew what they were doing, didn't really give a crap what other people thought, and now their LGBT ads are iconic.

If you're unfamiliar with their previous ads, here are a few examples, thanks to Commercial Closet. Fun thing to note: the last TV ad, part of a series of ads featuring RuPaul's Drag Race contestants, was just honored at GLAAD's 2011 Amplifier Awards:

 

 

So now that I've gushed about this, what are YOUR feelings? Do you think Absolut is going in the right direction with their new campaign? Are you curious to see what's to come?

Vodka Soaked PUN-kins for Halloween!

Ah Halloween...one of the greatest holidays in NYC where all the citizens of the land have an excuse to drink rum with a splash of apple cider while dressed as "scantily clad" versions of their favorite 1980's cartoon characters...AND for some gay-themed ads! Who knew?!

On Saturday, I was making bi-weekly trip to my boyfriend Trader Joe's house to pick up some gourmet-for-broke-people food (Side note: Go on a Saturday during the day. It's dead and the shelves are P-P-P-PACKED! Mama's now got enough frozen pesto pizzas to hibernate until June 2013) Anyway, right as I was about to walk in I found this ad below:

Hey Rokk Vodka! As you can see, this ad is to promote their orange flavored vodka for the Halloween season. Before we talk about this ad, we should note that for the past year Rokk has had a partnership with GLAAD, creating ads that promote both products at the same time. The one below is their main ad that also won a GLAAD Amplifier Award (obvi):

And here's a window display I found at a local liquor store in the West Village :

So now that we have that little tidbit of history, let's talk about the halloween ad. Here's the thing, mama loves a good pun (example: the title of this blog), but this ad just seems a little too puny. "Orange you GLAAD it's Halloween?" Eh? EH? Get it? Like, okay, whoa, slow down partner...

I think if a pun is done well, it can work and be creative. But I also think some advertisements in general take the easy way out with puns, and I don't think this ad is any different. Their previous headline "Filtering Out Inequality" I really enjoyed. Relates to the product as well as the cause...wham, bam, thank you ma'am. Not saying the Halloween ad doesn't, but it just seems a little obvious to me. What I do like about this ad are the rainbow rays behind each flavored bottle, which this is the first time I've seen Rokk do in their ads. Cool way to show the flavors while mixing in the rainbow/"we're here for the gays" theme.

Regardless of this wah-wah headline, I think it's great to partner with GLAAD and cross promote with these ads. Not only is it loud and proud about promoting to gays, but they're getting the word about GLAAD out there that GLAAD might not be able to do otherwise. Before, I questioned if their ads were just going for the gay dollar...BUUUUT with this ad they have a QR code to their Facebook page. If you like it, they'll donate a dollar to the GLAAD! Damn, okay Rokk, way to be!

So what does everyone think? Do you think their headline for the Halloween ad is cute or a little easy? Are you GLAAD they did it? (Sorry, I had to go with the theme) What do you think about the other ads?

And if you haven't seen this SNL skit about Sex And The City and puns, it's very fitting this post...

Goooooin To The Storage Unit, And We're...

Okay, here’s a fun story to share with you all. Well…perhaps the actual story isn’t fun, but know I’m listening to Beyonce while typing this, so I’m having fun. AAANYway, this summer I was walking to Chelsea Piers (for all the people that actually live outside of NYC, it’s the Mall of America of sports complexes) for some driving range action. Yes, driving range…I couldn’t believe it myself. Well, right as I was about to enter, I saw this ad:

Again, for those who are sane and don’t live in NYC, Manhattan Mini Storage is a popular storage company in the city where people can, well, store things. Got it? Amazballs…

The copy for the ad boldly reads, "If you don't like gay marriage, don't get gay married." Damn. Amen. Preach MMS. (that’s right, we’re on a abbreviation basis.)  

So, when I first read this, my initial reaction was, “Wow, what a great thing to say in an ad! Good for you MMS!” (Actually my first thought was that Whoopie Goldburg says this all the time on The View...) Then I thought, “Wait, what does gay marriage have anything to do with storage?” Finally, it got to, “Wow, way to just put something out there just to get the gay dollar.” So, all in all, I was confused.

For me, just looking at this ad it’s not very clear on what MMS was trying to do. I always feel that an ad should sell the product cause, I mean, that’s what they are made to do. I just don’t really see the connection with the gay marriage line and the actual product. MMS has always put out somewhat “controversial” copy in their ads and a few that deal with current issues, which I think is amazing, but the other ads bring it back to the product. Here are some samples below: 

However, they have also created other politically charged ads that don't talk about the product at all. Below is one about Michele Bachmann: 

After looking a little more into the gay marriage ad, I found this blurb on MMS’s website. The ad is part of a much larger marketing campaign that included MMS workers taking pictures and congratulating newlyweds at City Hall the day gay marriage became legal, handing out free storage to the couples (which is obviously on every gay couples registry), and posting videos and updates on both Facebook and Twitter throughout the day. Here are the videos that were posted:

So here’s what I have to say. Based on the ad alone, which is probably the only thing most people will see, does it sound like MMS is just making a bold statement to get the gay dollar? Yes. Put it with the whole campaign of “What Is Love” and their past support for the gay community does it seem like they’re only going for the gay dollar? No. Listen, anyone that puts an ad geared towards the LGBT community is putting it out there to get money. That’s what ads are for. But there are companies that do go above and beyond the advertising to show their support for the community, and I think that’s what MMS is doing. I think the ad would’ve been better if the tagline connected with the product more, or it made it a little clearer on MMS’s intention. But, I also think it’s just MMS’s way of putting it out there that they simply support gay marriage as a company, period.

So, let’s open it up. Do you think this ad is MMS’s way of ONLY getting the gay dollar or do you think it’s a bold political statement that more companies should be showing their support for?

Source, Source, aaaand Source

Lesbians + Lube = Love

Woot! Let’s hear it for the girls!

K.Y. just released their first TV ad featuring a lesbian couple a few weeks ago! 
Check it out below:

It’s wonderful to finally see K.Y. incorporate the gay community in TV commercials. Although it has the same theme as all the other K.Y. Brand Intense ads featuring straight couples, it’s nice to see the brand finally reach out to everyone, cause, really, sex is a pretty common thing amongst the human race. Here’s an example of the other ads:

I’m actually surprised it took them this long to reach out to the gay community because…um…let’s just say a product like this is a bit of a necessity. I guess there’s no better time than the present to start. (Side note: the ad is called "Alex & Emma" which is also the title of a 2003 movie staring Kate Hudson and Luke Wilson. Okay, moving on...) Although this is the first TV commercial they’ve done, they did release a print ad back in 2010 featuring a gay couple as the winners for America’s Top Couple. This ad ran in Entertainment Weekly and also won a GLAAD Media Awards in Advertising for “Outstanding Print Campaign.”

Overall I think it's a great step in the right direction for K.Y. and they understand their market. They could have gone the direction of being very tacky and crude, but these ads are tasteful while also straight to the point and humorous at the same time.

What do you guys think? Is it good that they finally put gay themed ads out or do you think it's a little too late?

Full Credits for "Alex & Emma"