Is society (and the market) read to receive gay ads on the mainstream?

1. CURRENT AFFAIRS
GAY ADS ON MAINSTREAM
Marcela Klein Martins
English for Academic Porpuse

2. CURRENT AFFAIRS
GAY ADS ON MAINSTREAM
Marcela Klein Martins
English for Academic Porpuse
”Those media disseminated
via the largest distribution
channels, which therefore
represent what the majority of
media consumers are likely to
encounter. The term also
denotes those media
generally reflective of the
prevailing currents of thought,
influence, or activity.”

3. Outline
 Opening
 Story 1
 Story 2
 Issues
 Pros
 Cons
 Solutions
 Discussion
 Summary
 References

4. Story 1
• Gay imagery in mainstream advertising.
• More common in the last two / three years.
• 2 decades after IKEA launched a TV Ads featuring a
gay couple shopping for a dining room table. The Ad
was just run in NY and Washington. Was pulled after
bomb threats to Ikea stores.
HUFFINTON POST

5. Story 1 (cont.)
LGBT Nation
Pride March

6. Story 2
 “Driving Sales: Car Companies Find Success
Advertising to Gay Consumers and Supporting
Groups That Work for Equality.”
 Subaru had no intention of specifically targeting
gay consumers through its advertising or
promotions.
 Doing a research to understand who was buying
their cars, they discovered the gay niche.
Questia

7. Issue
Is society (and the market) read to receive gay
ads on the mainstream?

8. Pros of Gays Ads on Mainstream
 Reach a mass part of society that is far from the
issue and could be prejudiced.
 Gays feel more part of the mass culture.
 Companies found a new niche of market,
resulting in more sales.
 New brand position – “I accept that. You could
be my client.”

9. Cons of Gays Ads on Mainstream
 The wrong message can be used, reinforcing
the stereotype of “gay community”
 Companies could lose clients due to this new
positioning.
 Different cultures could receive this message in
different ways.

10. Solutions
 Theme should be inserted slowly into markets.
 Companies may launch target campaigns.
 TV shows should debate this issue.

11. Discussion
 "They're no longer just targeting gay and
lesbian people. They're targeting people like
my mom, who want to know that a company
embraces and accepts their gay and lesbian
family members, friends and neighbors,"
said Rich Ferraro, a spokesman for the media watchdog group the
Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD).
HUFFINTON POST

12. Discussion
 How is gay issue debated in your country?
 What do you feel when you see a gay campaign?
 Do you think companies are concerned about the gays
consumers?
 Do you think companies will loose clients if they lauch a
mainstream gay campaign?

13. Summary
 Past (two decades): IKEA launched TV AD with gay couple and
suffer retaliation.
 Present (last 2 years): Master Card launched a Social Media
campaign about acceptance of gay
 Now: Amazon campaign with gay couple in a straight environment –
part of day life.
 Companies see the opportunity of a new market niche.
 Some celebrities “pull” society to a new moment of understanding,
acceptance and even “glamour”.

14. References
HUFFINTON POST
Questia
LGBT Nation
Pride March
Life site News
Mom Grid
Jacob Z Flores
NPR
THANK YOU!