Gay-themed traffic signals take over Vienna

Awesome idea. In an effort to present Vienna as an open-minded city and to improve traffic safety, traffic signals depicting same-sex couples have been installed all over the city, attracting the attention of drivers and pedestrians.

Ad Spotlight: Powershop New Zealand

A gay ad featuring the pope? Brilliant. And yes, it's real... in New Zealand. Read more here. 

Ad Spotlight: Gap

Ad Spotlight: Absolut Vodka

Absolut is celebrating 20 years of LGBT advertising. In 1981 it ran its first gay-targeted ads in The Advocate and After Dark. To celebrate, Absolut is launching a national $4 million outdoor, digital, and print campaign. Click here to read the full New York Times article.

Ad Spotlight: Rokk Vodka

I've never heard of Rokk, but I like their LGBT pride campaign, which highlights the fact that they've been a big sponsor of GLAAD:

Tennessee Billboards Promote Marriage "Gods Way"

These billboards are popping up all over Tennessee; and you guessed it, thanks in part to the support of NOM the "National Organization for Marriage" and the conservative-values ad agency, Roland Advertising. Seems like an odd place to put their money and message, as Tennessee already has a constitutional amendment banning civil marriage equality for same-sex couples. Guess they just want to promote heterosexuality as much as they can. 
Read more here and be sure to read the comments. 

Civil Partnership Ad Campaign Launches in Poland

A new campaign aims to change the fact that Poland has no civil partnership law and provides no legal recognition to same-sex couples. Wojciech Szot, the coordinator of the campaign, wrote to me to tell me details: 


Today, Poland is the biggest European Union Member State in which same-sex couples are invisible for the law. The law ensures no legal protection to them, does not regulate their situation, takes in fact no account of their existence.

This is unfair. This is an exclusion - in many areas of life.

Poland is also one of the very few European countries where the authorities have not taken up any measures whatsoever in this area. One of the aims of our campaign is to show that legal frameworks for same-sex relationships are a European civilisational standard and that social evolution in this area has not bypassed Poland. Our law, however, does not follow the reality in this respect, and the authorities refrain from any dialogue with the society at large and with our interest group. 

“Love Does Not Exclude” is therefore an expression of this very pressing social need – the voice of those who are invisible to the law and ignored by politicians. For half a year now we’ve been hearing that a debate should be held in the Polish parliament, but will this happen before the parliamentary elections? Will the government and the opposition listen to their electorate?

The creation of – any – legal framework for same-sex couples in Poland is an increasingly urgent issue. We don’t want to keep pleading or asking. With the “Love Does Not Exclude” campaign we want to show that the time of demanding has come. We have the right to equality! We don’t want to be excluded any more! We demand civil partnerships law!

Another aim of our campaign is to show that a social action can be carried out without official grants or European funding. The background of our activities consists of voluntary work and donations – even the smallest ones – from our sponsors, both companies and private persons. We want to show that even the tiniest gestures count and that the fight for civil partnerships can be fought in all scales, large and small. The “Love Does Not Exclude” campaign, consisting of four elements (social networking on Facebook and Twitter, billboards, webpage, public event), is founded on its recipients – ordinary people who care for changing the Polish reality.

Please check out their Facebook page at - http://www.facebook.com/Miloscniewyklucza, and more information about the campaign can be found at:http://www.miloscniewyklucza.pl/about-the-campaign.html

Next Big Thing: Facebook Places

The world of mobile check-in is about to change in a major way. For those of us previously limited to Yelp, Gowalla, Foursquare and the like; say hello to Facebook Places. While many might say this utility from Facebook is far overdue, my guess is they've been waiting to really get this right on both their mobile site and app. I predict a real game changer for businesses, brands, and dare I say it - human behavior in the way we make social decisions about who and where.

Clear Channel Rejects St. Petersburg Pride Billboards

Not sure what to make of this. Two of the four billboards that the organizers of St. Petersberg Pride had planned on buying to promote their upcoming festival were rejected by Clear Channel Outdoor, prompting the organization to cancel its pending contract with them altogether.

One rejected billboard features a pair of men - shirtless, presumably at a beach - smiling for a photo with the caption "My family is fun."  The other billboard that was rejected features a pair of women lying down at the beach together - presumably in the moment before a kiss - with the caption, "My family is free."

The other two billboards in the campaign, however, were not rejected. One of the approved billboards had an apparent drag queen in leather with the caption "My family is fierce."  The other approved billboard had two men on a couch with a toddler and the caption "My family is fabulous & fearless."

So, moral of the story is that gays are ok on billboards as long as they’re not on a beach? Clear Channel wouldn't say why it rejected two of the billboards, but said, "as a matter of policy, we don't discuss creative decisions on signage."

Is Outdoor Advertising Visual Pollution?

Via JMG: I couldn't imagine a big city without outdoor advertising. I feel so alive every time I set foot into Times Square, largely thanks to all the advertising there. Constantly changing and lit up 24/7, it exemplifies all there is to love about the city that never sleeps. But one city, San Paulo, Brazil, banned all outdoor advertising back in 2007. Gilberto Kassab, the city's mayor, said the measure was part of a larger effort to reduce all forms of pollution: "The Clean City Law came from a necessity to combat pollution... pollution of water, sound, air, and the visual. We decided that we should start combating pollution with the most conspicuous sector – visual pollution." Now, nearly three years later, the ban is still going strong, much to the satisfaction of most San Paulo residents:

Avenue Q's puppet cleavage causes concern in Colorado

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.  — Puppet cleavage has been ruled out for advertising posters in Colorado Springs bus shelters. Lamar Advertising rejected posters for a touring production of the Broadway show "Avenue Q" because they show the cleavage of a fuzzy pink puppet. Lamar account executive Jeff Moore says the company takes a conservative approach in Colorado Springs. The city is known for its political conservatism, and some conservative Christian groups have headquarters in the city, including the now infamous Focus on The Family. The poster has been replaced by one showing the face of another puppet. "Avenue Q" is a Tony-winning musical about twentysomething New Yorkers, both human and puppets, searching for life and love.

Two Canadian Cities Ban Virgin Mobile's Outdoor Ads

Calgary and Mississauga, two Canadian cities, have pulled Virgin Mobile's outdoor kiosk and billboard advertisements that show two men kissing, citing that they're inappropriate in places where families or children can see them. 

In response, Virgin's CMO said, “Virgin's advertising always tends to have an edge to it. We're very interested in creating advertising that creates discussion. It's quite interesting for us because these are the sorts of images people are bombarded with every day.”

Good for Virgin Mobile. It's not like they have to be worried about losing market share from traditionalists.

D.C. Anti-Marriage Equality Ads Stir Up Debate

You saw the story first here on Brand Fabulousness. Now Queerty has continued the conversation, raising the question by saying that "no self-respecting black or Latino-American would tolerate advertisements suggesting their rights should be up for a vote. So why should gays?" They have a point. Check out their coverage and all the comments here.

Memphis billboard featuring gay soldier vandalized

By Ben Watson - bio | email | Twitter | Facebook

MEMPHIS, TN (WMC-TV) - A Memphis billboard featuring a gay soldier was ripped to shreds by vandals Friday night.

The billboard was part of a campaign for National Coming Out Day, which takes place annually on October 11. The campaign's purpose is to promote understanding of issues affecting the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered community in the Mid-South.

The billboard located at Poplar and High near Downtown Memphis pictured a marine and read,"I'm gay and I protected your freedom."

Police have not said whether there are suspects in custody.

Memphis Gay and Lesbian Community Center President Heidi Williams says she's appalled by such an act of hatred.

"I know that they intended to silence us with hate. However, we are choosing to unite and come over that with a stronger voice, and a message that we are here - and we deserve equality as well as everyone else," she said.

MGLCC plans to hold an event later this week to rally against the vandalism.

Read the whole story and watch the video clip on wmctv.com

L.A.'s ban on new digital billboards and supergraphics is upheld -- latimes.com

L.A.'s ban on new digital billboards and supergraphics is upheld -- latimes.com

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