Tag Archives: TV Advert

Kellogg’s Lesbian Kiss Causes Controversy Down Under

Kellogg’s recently released a new advert for their Special K brand, titled ‘Own It’.

The advert featured a range of women of different shapes and sizes in various stages of life – including two women who are briefly shown kissing while dancing at a party.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqXEshsQc1k

Sadly, the ad attracted a negative response, especially from one viewer, who complained to the Advertising Standards Board Australia that the scarred their 7-year-old son for life… hmmmm

The viewer complaint stated:

The add [sic] was ruined where it showed two women kissing.

Why it did one can only wonder perhaps it was trying to support a particular agenda (eg desensitising the public) however regardless, that physical act doesn’t have anything to do with a breakfast cereal product that anyone in our society might choose to purchase and enjoy.

The ad should consider the well being of the younger generations of children and families as well as everyone else.

I object to the kiss. Must we have the lesbian message shoved in our faces all the time. My 7 year old boy doesn’t need that happening in his lounge room.

The ad was shown during family viewing time and included two women kissing as a couple in an attempt to normalise this behaviour.”

Thankfully the advertiser body rejected the complaint, writing back:

The Board noted the complainants’ concerns over the depiction of two women kissing one another.

The Board noted that this scene is very brief and considered that the overall tone of the advertisement is of women behaving confidently and there is no undue focus on this particular scene, which is very fleeting.

The Board acknowledged that some members of the community might be uncomfortable with images of women kissing women, but considered that all the depictions of kissing in the advertisement are very brief and are not shown to lead to any further intimacy.

Consistent with previous determinations against similar complaints concerning men kissing and of women kissing (…), the Board considered that in this instance a brief depiction of a woman kissing a woman was not sexualised and in the context of depictions of confident women and loving relationships this scene was not gratuitous or inappropriate.”

And Kellogg’s response was on point.

Kellogg acknowledges that there may be some members of the public that will be offended by a scene depicting two women kissing.

We respectfully submit that whilst some individuals may be offended, the advertisement does not depict the scene in a way that vilifies a person or section of the community, including on account of religion or sexual preference.

A scene briefly portraying two women kissing, in the context of an advertisement that celebrates the reality of female diversity, cannot be regarded as discriminating against or vilifying consumers with religious or other beliefs in a manner contrary to the AANA Code.”

Yogurt Advert Feature Lesbian Couple Prompts Homophobic Backlash from ‘One Million Moms’

The group ‘One Million Moms’ have history of going after the LGBT community.

A few years ago it was Ellen, because how dare a lesbian be a spokesperson for JC Penney.

Now it is the new TV advert for yoghurt company Chobani.

chobani_yogurt_gif

Chobani Attempts to Normalize Sin.”

In the new ad, a tousled and clearly undressed blonde relaxes in bed, enjoying a carton of Chobani. She languidly licks the spoon, scoops out the remains with her finger and looks slyly over at her sleeping bedmate, whose foot she teasingly strokes.

Then she gets up, pulling the sheet with her, and her partner — who like her is clearly wearing a wedding ring, by the way — rouses gently and smiles.

As the Moms put it,

This commercial not only promotes same sex relationships by including two lesbians, but also same sex marriage because the two women wear matching wedding bands. The ad states, ‘To Love this Life is to Live it Naturally.’ There is nothing natural about homosexuality.”

Chobani’s chief marketing officer, meanwhile, says,

We’re a national food company that has beliefs, from animal welfare to equality.”

The Moms do ask, somewhat reasonably,

What does selling yogurt have to do with gay sex?”

and of course the answer is not a whole lot.

That’s what makes the Chobani ad unique and important. God knows using sex in ads in nothing new. Even using sex in yogurt ads is nothing new. Using gay people in ads in increasingly common, too — but the trend of the past few years has been steadfastly portraying them as your safe, family-friendly neighbours.

Honey Maid’s sweet Love ad from last year rode on the tagline of “This is wholesome,” and more recently, Wells Fargo has been running a spot featuring a pair of nice lesbians learning sign language in preparation of adopting a deaf child.

Google Just Made One of the Most Compelling Mainstream Ads on Gender Transition

Transgender issues have been front-page news for a while now. Some brands have clearly had a hard time knowing what their role should be in this conversation.

Enter Google (one of the world’s most powerfully visible corporate LGBT advocates) and their new spot for Pride Month, which tells the deeply poignant story of a transgender man and the small business that helped him during his transition.

The first half of the advert focuses on Jake, who was born female but identified as male from a young age.

The second half introduces City Gym in Kansas City, Mo., who gave Jake a place where he can feel comfortable getting to know his changing body and find support for him and his friends.

 

Yogurt Company Join Pride Brigade With New TV Advert Featuring Lesbian Couple

Latest TV spot from Chobani features a lesbian couple. The company’s advert – To Love This Life is to Live Naturally – highlights a social issue that aligns with the yogurt company’s core foundations of equality and acceptance.

Peter McGuinness, chief marketing and brand officer of Chobani, said

We’ve been an inclusive brand from the beginning and equal rights has been fundamental and foundational for this brand. The founding mission of Chobani was better food for more people. Good food shouldn’t be a privilege, it should be a right, and we want to make it available to all.”

The $15 million “Love This Life” campaign, comes from Opermann Weiss and focuses on telling the modern American story by emphasizing the role Chobani plays within people’s lives.

Being different, through advertising and product, is one reason Mr. McGuinness thinks the brand is flourishing.

As the leader of the category it’s our role and responsibility to grow the category and inspire the category and be different. We don’t want to do taste-offs and comparison ads, we don’t want to take the typical approach.”

Seth Adam, the director-communications for GLAAD, thinks that showcasing LGBT acceptance is becoming increasingly important for brands.

More and more companies are beginning to realize that supporting equality doesn’t stop at having inclusive workplace polices. Supporting equality also means being inclusive in your advertising and marketing and your outreach to your community and customers. I think that’s what you’re seeing here is Chobani taking that next step and saying ‘We support acceptance and equality and this is what that looks like.'”

The “Love This Life” campaign will run through September, and includes a print and social media campaign as well as new product labels.

Lesbian Visibility is Getting Better, 10 Must Watch LGBT Ad Campaigns That Melt the Heart (Videos)

We have come a long way when it comes to lesbian in the media visibility. Ads today are both inclusive and respectful, and often boldly targeting the LGBT community directly.

But what is so great about these new adverts, is they are empowering and honest. And as we all know empowering and honest ads don’t always come our way, specially when it comes to women and representing the LGBT community.


1. Anouk Ethnic

Created by clothing company Anouk Ethnic, the advert depicts a couple getting ready for a visit from one of the women’s parents, who will be meeting her girlfriend for the first time. This is a first for India – where same-sex relationships are illegal.


2. Cornetto

Game, set and it’s a match made in heaven when a young girl finds herself as an accidental target for love. Her relationship with a tennis pro doesn’t start off well but will our Cupid, Lily Allen help to bring them together?


3. O Boticário

O Boticário commercial made a big impact in Brazil, causing both negative and positive commentary on social media channels because it should same-sex couples.


4. Wells Fargo

The US bank is promoting and embracing of diversity with a series of new adverts – one of which features a lesbian couple who are learning sign language for a very special reason.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxDsx8HfXEk


5. Marriott

As part of Marriott International’s #LoveTravels campaign, LGBT couples share their genuine love for one another that they feel translates into a language people can understand, no matter their beliefs.


6. Micorsoft

Software giant Microsoft released a television advert for their Outlook.com campaign which included a scene of two women getting married.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzj0PVMdT7Q


7. Matalan

Matalan launched a major new advertising campaign in the UK, aimed at showing the range of different households in Britain today.


8. Hallmark

Hallmark’s commercial featured a real-life lesbian couple talking about all the things they love about each other, and it’s perhaps the cutest thing ever.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6XGYifGseg

 


9. Target

Target aired a commercial called, “Baby Digs: The Magic of Space,” which featured a married lesbian couple Amanda Deibert and Cat Staggs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALU_br7r7nY


10. Natwest

The advert (which is for the bank’s ‘Cashback Plus’ service) doesn’t make a big song and dance out of the fact that the couple are lesbians (which is what usually happens), the point the ad is making is that we are all different, and that’s okay

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHG3hVTzwyk

 

Wow, India Gets its First TV Ad Featuring A Lesbian Couple (Video)

While the Indian courts take their time deciding the fate of Indian’s LGBT community, with the verdict on legalising Section 377 still pending, clothing company Anouk  have gone ahead in taking the issue to every household.

The delightful ad features two women preparing to meet one of the parents and talking about their relationship.

India Lesbian Couple advert 01

The video ends with the women preparing to not “hide it anymore.”

India Lesbian Couple advert 02

Here’s India’s first lesbian ad and it is nothing short of amazing.

Backlash at Brazilian Company O Boticário for Releasing Advert Featuring Same-Sex Couples

Boticário, after they made an advert featuring same-sex couples.

The commercial has made a big impact in Brazil over the last week, causing both negative and positive commentary on social media channels.

Screen Shot 2015-06-05 at 18.31.31

Some people tried to organise a boycott of O Boticário, as well as other companies advocating for marriage equality.

Outraged viewers even opened up a campaign against O Boticário on ReclaimeAqui.

I do not want my children to watch this propaganda. I have the right to preserve the family institution in my home.”

O Boticário actually responded on ReclaimeAqui, saying it “believes in the beauty of relations” and that the point of the campaign is to ”approach with respect and sensitivity, the various forms of love.”

Pasta Makers Celebrates Same-sex Domesticity

A new commercial from Italian frozen foods company Findus, celebrates same-sex domesticity in a remarkably simple, relatable TV advert.

The landmark commercial features a young gay couple serving one of the pair’s mother a dinner. The truly groundbreaking moment comes when the couple comes out to one man’s mother, thinking she believes they are simply roommates. The advert does not show faces, but instead features three pairs of hands — those of the mother, her son Luca’s hands, and those of Luca’s boyfriend, Gianni.

“So Luca, what’s the surprise?”

“There are so many,” Luca replies with a nervous laugh

“Pasta in the microwave? Now that is definitely a surprise.”

“Luca told me it’s your favourite dish,” Gianni chimes in. Then, after a couple of lines of praise for the product, son Luca says, “Mom, I have another surprise…”

That’s when he comes out and let’s his mom know that Gianni is not just his roommate, but also his boyfriend. But Mom replies in a calm, knowing, and clearly accepting tone,:”I already knew.”, and she gently pats her son on the hand.

LGBTQ groups has spoken out positively about the advert, as it offers a strong counter-initiative to the regressive statements from Barilla, but because Italy has been known as slower than other leading EU nations in terms of evolving toward greater equality for LGBT people.

“It’s a positive step forward when different types of families are portrayed in ads, as they resonate with parts of society that are usually marginalized.”

Juris Lavrikovs, ILGA-Europe