FEBRUARY 12 . 2005 • Q-NOTES
Media
wmmercial closet
michael wilke
Same-sex
marriage
ads
dominate
2004
Anti-gay marriage amendments to the
federal and state constitutions flourished in
11 states and nationally, all supported by
advertising that reflected the hostility that
most Americans and politicians felt aboift
the idea, as well as gay organizations
fighting for it. Altogether, with politicians,
gay and anti-gay organizations, as well as
several corporate advertisers, over 100 ads
posited a position on same-sex marriage
in 2004 alone.
In fact, due in large part to the negative
politicking, negative-rated commercials in
the Commercial Closet archive nearly dou
bled for 2004, with an increase of 90 per
cent. Of the 87 ads rated by Commercial
Closet for last year, 40 (45.9 percent) fell
into the Negative category, compared to
only 21 (19 percent) in 2003. Oregon was
an advertising-heavy battleground, with a
strong TV presence by both
gay and anti-gay forces,
while other states such as
It was a hot year for gay marriage in
advertising — as evidenced by spots from
both the Radisson and W Hotels.
North Carolina, Oklahoma, Utah, Georgia,
Louisiana and Tennessee fared with most
ly negative ads.
Over and over again, political candi
dates running for state or national office —
Republican and Democrat, male and
female — touted in their ads that they
voted against gay marriage or worked to
“protect the sanctity of marriage.” More
negative ads chimed in from anti-gay
forces including Focus on the Family and
Americans United to Preserve Marriage, a
so-called 527 organization from funda
mentalist Gary Bauer, against presidential
hopeful lohn Kerry.
Left-leaning MoveOn.org and LGBT
organizations fought back, lead by the
Human Rights Campaign with 22 ads alone,
along with GLAAD, MassEquality.org in
Massachusetts, Stonewall Columbus in
Ohio and the Constitution Defense League
in Missouri. Up north, where full marriage
for lesbians and gays is expected to be
approved nationally soon, pro-gay oi^ani-
zations Canadians for Equal Marriage and
Equal Marriage for Same-Sex Couples have
pushed for the cause.
MTV addressed the marriage issue in
its ongoing, diversity-orient
ed Fight for Your Rights
series. One of the six featured
a young man stopping peo
ple everywhere, asking them
for “permission to marry
Megan.” The ending asks
viewers, “How would you
feel if you had to ask 260 million people for
the right to marry?” Others in the series
perversely linked piercing, and pairs of hot
dogs and donuts to same-sex marriage.
Some corporations see opportunity too
Responding to the hot topic, some cor
porate advertisers chimed in too. Fashion
brand Kenneth Cole created a print ad
showing two men holding hands, saying,
“52 percent of Americans think same-sex
marriage doesn’t deserve a good reception.
Are you putting us on?” Of course, the text
has a double meaning and the men wear a
watch and black shirts by the designer,
with their wedding bands.
Kenneth Cole’s gay marriage ad is part
of a larger issues-driven campaign that
looks at HIV, affirmative action, the deficit,
censorship, and the presidential election
(partisanship was carefully avoided). The
marriage ad ran in both gay media and CQ,
though it is still rare for advertisers to run
gay-specific ads in both general media and
gay media. Since 1994, Kenneth Cole has
created advertising sensitive to AIDS and
gay issues, positioned as clever one-liner
comments from Cole himself.
Specific properties of Radisson
and W Hotels have carried advertise
ments featuring same-sex wedding
ceremonies, a source of business for
them.
Promoting it’s “WOW Vows, the
W Los Angeles showed two grooms
atop a wedding cake with the head
line, “Come celebrate your vows...in
a romantic world of wonder.”
Radisson Hotel New Orleans showed two
men holding hands wearing a wedding
band with the headline “Committed,”
though the individual hotel’s web site only
reflects opposite-sex weddings. Since 2003,
W Hotels have also run corporate advertis
ing in the gay market, but Radisson has not.
TVvo-hundred-year-oId Boston jeweler
Shreve Crump St Low ran print ads featuring
wedding bands and carrying the headline,
“This Is Love. It’s Not Up For A Vote.” TWo
years earlier, the store initiated ads in the gay
community with a headline putting a twist
on old conventional wisdom, “Not all the
good ones are gay or taken. Some are both.”
Faced with a difficult political situation
and a difficult history to overcome, Coors
Brewing Co. placed ads in gay media
explicitly stating, “Let’s be clear. We don’t
support amending the Constitution.” In
addition, it explained, “This election year,
there’s a lot of national debate on issues
that are important to the LGBT community,
including the Rderal Marriage Amendment.
And, as a political candidate, Pete Coors
has expressed his personal position on this
issue. Coors Brewing Company’s position
on this issue differs from Pete Coors.’”
With the reintroduction of the Federal
Marriage Amendment, and several more
states preparing to vote on amending their
constitutions to address the issue, more
debate via advertising is surely on the way.
Will corporate advertisers continue to fol
low as well?
Discover the Difference
between an agent and an
"EXECUTIVE]"
Stephen Holder
represents the best
\ / in Myrtle Beach
JL ■> residential,
commercial or
■ tmn
1 I'
MO!
.IH/!'-." '
Search all
S MLS and
•- i Realty
^ 11 Executives'
^ listings
\ in my virtual
office at
www.thegayrealtor.com.
Myrtle Beach has
the "hottest"
real estate
opportunity in
the country -
don't miss out!
Call me today at
843-997-6272
for more information.
Let this "EXECUTIVE" handle it!
Stephen J. Holder Broker/Realtor
Realty Executives of Myrtle Beach
5307-A N. Kings Highway
Myrtle Beach, SC 29577 i
888-488-EXEC ext. 109
www.thegayrealtor.com I
.4 1 :■ HI