Nike Launches LGBT Inspired Shoes

Just in time to celebrate pride month, Nike has launched a pair of shoes that are inspired by and support the LGBT community called the #BETRUE collection. They're available at Nike.com and select Nike retailers nationwide. Wonder if we'll see Jason Collins sporting these sometime very soon.

Ad Spotlight: Ray-Ban

Ray-Ban was a 2012 GLAAD Amplifier Award Nominee.

The Risky Business of Courting LGBT Customers

"Although there may be very specific types of businesses that have to be very careful, the ultimate reality appears to be that most people do not feel strongly enough to stop patronizing corporations that target this market. In actual fact, it increasing seems like the opposite may be true - companies that aren't seen as conforming to the new norms may find it harder to attract and retain the customers and employers they want." 

Read the full story at Investopedia. 

Coca Cola to Sponsor NYC Pride

In a surprising move, Coca Cola announced today that it will be the presenting sponsor of NYC gay pride this year. Surprisingly good, that is, that the top global brand in the world is openly making such a major commitment to the LGBT community. With support for gay rights highest amount younger age groups and with kids coming out younger and younger, it seems like a good business decision too. 

Here's what they said via press release: “At Coca-Cola, one of our seven core values is diversity, and we define that in a simple way - we are as inclusive as our brands,” said Hallie Lorber, Director of Field Marketing, Northeast region. “Through our partnership with NYC Pride, we hope to promote diversity by recognizing the valued members of the Coca-Cola family who help build our business every day, as well as people in the LGBT community for whom our brands inspire moments of optimism, happiness and refreshment.” 

Finally, a social use for QR codes

From Leo Burnett Warsaw.

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: K-Y

Looks like this is running in the UK:

Ad Spotlight: Budweiser's New Ambiguously Gay Commercial

To most people, there's probably nothing gay about this commercial. But its timing is interesting given the recent repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," and its sign off with "Proudly Serving Those Who Serve" makes you wonder...

Kraft promotes flavored water with "Sassy Gay Friend"

Kraft Foods is promoting Mio, it's new water flavoring product, with a character from Chicago's The Second City called "Sassy Gay Friend" in a series of online videos. It's quite a departure for Kraft, which is facing the threat of rising food prices. The joke in the viral videos involves famous scenes from various Shakespeare plays — such as Ophelia’s suicide in Hamlet, or the scene in Romeo and Juliet where Juliet is about to kill herself. The twist occurs when the “Sassy Gay Friend” unexpectedly enters the scenes and changes the outcome. Take a look for yourself. Definitely a departure from the typical family dinner-table tone you've come to expect from Kraft:

Mexican Brewery Targets the LGBT Market... and Sells Out of Beer

Jalisco based Minerva brewery is already producing its second lot of Salamandra and Purple Hand beers, their “Artisan Honey-Ales” that have a citrus flavor. Minerva shocked many marketers in Mexico when it dared to target both brews primarily toward the LGBT market. But those that had their doubts are now looking the other way, as both beers have been a resounding success, completely selling out their first lot of 500 cases in just a week. 

The name “Purple Hand” is a reference and homage of sorts to the night of Halloween, 1969, when sixty members of the Gay Liberation Front and the Society for Individual Rights protested in front of the San Francisco’s Examiner in response to a series of news articles disparaging LGBT people in San Francisco’s gay bars and clubs. The peaceful protest against the “homophobic editorial policies” of the Examiner turned tumultuous when Examiner employees doused the crowd with printers ink. The protestors used the ink to stamp purple hand prints throughout downtown San Francisco, in what became one of the most visible demonstrations of gay power. 

Since launching the products, Minerva has received offers by the US, Argentina, Ecuador, Chile, Colombia and Japan, interested in importing the beer.

Mascara Brand Capitalizes on Ricky Martin's Coming Out

Yardley cosmetics brilliantly used Ricky Martin's recent coming out episode in an ad for their tear-proof mascara. According to a press release, the ad was "an immediate response to the high level of local and international coverage given to this piece of showbiz news last week. We wanted to offer young female fans a quirky, tongue in cheek solution to the announcement in a ‘tear proof’ mascara." The ad was done by a South African agency called Bester Burke Slingers. I give them an A for moving so quickly. US agencies should be reacting this quickly to news and current events to ensure their brands stay relevant in today's era of instantaneous communication.

Hilarious: "Telephone" Parody

Here's a funny parody to Lady Gaga's latest video for "Telephone." Interesting how much backlash she's getting for the product placement. In three days this video had over 625,000 hits on YouTube.

Samsung

I think Samsung is so smart. It looks like they've really expanded their interactive displays at DFW, and presumably in other airports too. Here's a tunnel you can actually walk through and check out all their cool new phones. Not far away is a bar where you can power up your own electronics and check out more of their latest products. People were literally flocking to this tunnel to check it out. I'll have to get a picture of the inside next time. Compare that kind of interaction with how people usually interact with a billboard or a magazine advertisement. 


I'm not bashing traditional media in its entirety, but I don't know why more brands don't invest in nontraditional efforts like these that maximize aperture by connecting with consumers in specific, controlled environments and contexts such as this. What better time to think about cell phones than when you're stuck at the airport with nowhere to go and nothing to do until your flight departs – except play with the one thing that's guaranteed to be in your pocket: your phone.


UPDATE: Here's a picture of the inside:

Ben & Jerry's Hosts Wedding and Provides Ice Cream to Gay Couple Who Got Married in D.C.

Last Thursday, in celebration of marriage equality finally coming to Washington, D.C., Ben & Jerry's hosted a wedding and provided ice cream to Andreas Vellios (left) and Keith Spangler-Vellios (right), who exchanged vows at the Ben & Jerry's Georgetown Scoop Shop. 

“Equal rights and treatment for all people was a founding principle of Ben & Jerry’s when we started the company over 30 years ago,” said Jerry Greenfield, co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s. “We are proud that the District of Columbia is recognizing the rights of gay and lesbian couples to marry and are happy to celebrate the milestone with an ice cream wedding cake and best wishes for the happy couple.”

Last September, the company renamed its "Chubby Hubby" flavor to "Hubby Hubby" in support of Vermont's decision to legalize same-sex marriage. 

Pink is the New Green: Corporate America Courts The Dominating Spending Power Of The LGBT Community

  Pamela Raymond just published this article, which has some nice updated figures I haven't seen recently. The original article can be found at The Vital Voice.

 As the economy shakes from dramatic dips and turns, businesses are taking a pointed look at its advertising budgets and seeking ways to maximize its effectiveness to those still willing to spend their hard earned dollars. This leads companies to start thinking about how it “speaks” to its best consumers or how to cultivate new awareness amongst the general consumer pool.

   One consumer pool that has gotten more attention is the LGBT segment. With a projected buying power to exceed $835 billion by the year 2011, according to a study by Harris Interactive and Witeck-Combs Communications, it’s easy to see why this group is becoming highly sought after.

    The “pink dollar” or the “Dorothy dollar” as it is commonly known, refers to the purchasing power of the LGBT sector in the United States with incomes over $50,000 a year. This group is also identified as DINKs, “double income, no kids”, and has more disposable income to spend on higher end goods and services. “Pink” is the new “green” for many companies and organizationsthat seek out the brand loyalty of the LGBT consumer and hope to translate that to cold, hard cash.

    National marketers are jumping on the LGBT bandwagon at noticeable rates. Gay and lesbian cable station, LOGO, has over 80 major brands sponsoring various programming and events as well as digital entertainment is gearing itself more towards content and relevancy for the LGBT market. Target marketing within this community is hitting a bull’s eye for many corporate brands.

    With so many dollars up for grabs, the LGBT segment has become so powerful and influential in spotting trends and setting trends that companies want to get a piece of the action. According to a study of in 2008 by Harris Interactive and Witeck-Combs Communications, a premier collaborative in tracking LGBT tastes and behavior triggers, of the gays and lesbians taking the survey, 48% said they follow the latest trends and styles compared to 38% of heterosexual adults. Lifestyle products from liquor to linens see the vast potential in catering to the LGBT consumer. Adoption of the emerging online communications tools is more popular in the LGBT community. 55% of gays and lesbians read blogs and 55% use the social media site, Facebook, compared with 38% and 46% of heterosexuals, respectively. 23% of LGBTs are members of the professional social media site LinkedIn. Only 13% of heterosexuals claim membership with LinkedIn. As corporations strive to maximize its presence and relevancy online, the LGBT community is already utilizing the various social, professional and personal engagement tools offered by the Internet. Successful online advertising and awareness campaigns targeted to the LGBT segment will impact the ROI of many companies set on capturing the valuable “pink” dollars as the economy evolves. Online communications statistics are based on a 2009 study by Harris Interactive and Witeck-Combs Communications.

    Established entities are going one step further in its courting of the LGBT community by developing specific campaigns to engage the community directly. ABSOLUT Vodka introduced during Pridefest 2009, the limited edition Pride ABSOLUT bottle to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. The packaging featured a rainbow design to honor the men and women who fought back on the streets of New York City in 1969. ABSOLUT Vodka is also a major sponsor of the LOGO television show, RuPaul’s Drag Race with heavy product integration including a signature lounge utilized by contestants during deliberations.

    Is this a bold move for ABSOLUT? Not according to Jeffrey Moran, Vice President of Public Relations, Event Marketing, Sponsorship and Multicultural Marketing at Pernod Ricard USA, distributor of ABSOLUT Vodka. Moran states, “We don’t consider it to be a bold move. ABSOLUT was one of the earliest major advertisers to participate in LGBT media with ads dating back to 1981. So you see, we’ve been honoring pride and celebrating the achievements of the LGBT community for many years. Through communityspecific advertising, promotions and charitable contributions, ABSOLUT is of the most consistent marketers to the LGBT community and continues to be synonymous with vodka at gay and lesbian bars and living rooms from coast to coast.”

    Moran also commented, “In today’s marketing landscape, it’s not enough to just roll out TV ads or run bar promotions and expect consumers to notice and call for the brand. We need to engage the consumer and do something experiential, something relevant to their lifestyle. We have a long standing relationship with the LGBT community, but we don’t take it for granted. We have to constantly innovate if we want to stay relevant. As the first spirits brand to offer an LGBT-specific bottle at retail stores, ABSOLUT continues to show its innovation and relevance.” In this economy, target marketing to groups of similar consumers is on the rise. Dr. Mary Albrecht, Professor of Marketing at Maryville University St. Louis explains the desire behind companies taking a targeted approach. Dr. Albrecht remarks, “Target marketing is seen as more efficient because it potentially reduces the waste in marketing efforts especially in advertising and promotion. Waste is reaching someone who is not in the target market with your ad message. Target marketing is also considered more effective because the company can customize the marketing program specifically to that homogenous target market. However, as the company develops different marketing programs for different target markets the marketing cost is likely to increase.”

    Dr. Albrecht goes on to say, “Companies seek markets that present good opportunities. Companies like Procter & Gamble can cherry pick the most attractive market segment opportunities. They carefully select the product-market combinations that have a high probability of success and those segments become their target markets. Companies choose target markets that are substantial enough to be profitable, accessible to the company through channels of distribution and communication, and have needs that fit the company can satisfy with its product mix.” The LGBT market would certainly qualify as a substantial and profitable segment with estimates of population growth to reach 16.3 million by 2011.

    The “pink” dollar rules in this economy. Brand loyalty is becoming more important to stable sales and potential growth. The LGBT community is a powerhouse in impacting corporate bottom lines. Jeffery Moran of ABSOLUT Vodka sums it up best when describing why the LGBT dollar is so important, “Our mission is to be the coolest vodka on the planet – so there’s no way to be cool unless you’re doing great things for all your consumer segments, and since the LGBT consumer is clearly the coolest, we wanted to be sure that we celebrate all the milestones together. In an ABSOLUT World, everyone is encouraged to be true to themselves. That world is more colorful, diverse and respectful. As people celebrate Pride this year, we want them to be proud of who they are and let their true colors shine."

Lady Gaga and Cyndi Lauper Team up for MAC AIDS Fund

Lady Gaga and Cyndi Lauper were on Good Morning America today to promote the MAC Cosmetics AIDS Fund, which so far has raised over 150 million dollars. As Cyndi points out, MAC has been involved with this cause from day one.

Snickers Back in the Super Bowl

Snickers will again be in the Super Bowl this year. Their obnoxious 2007 Super Bowl spot showing two men in disgust after accidentally kissing drew outrage from LGBT Americans and their families and friends across the country. Mars, parent company of Snickers, assured everyone through a spokesperson that this year's ad "has nothing that the gay community would find offensive." Love how they didn't admit anyone else might have been offended by it (including themselves).

Meet Polaroid's New Spokesperson: Lady Gaga

Long-troubled imaging brand Polaroid has hitched its muse to Lady Gaga, naming the music superstar creative director for a specialty line of products.

Polaroid in a statement describes the deal as "a multi-year strategic partnership...[that] brings together one of the world's most iconic brands with today's fastest rising musical artist and cultural trendsetter."

Lady Gaga made an appearance today at Polaroid's booth at the Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas to discuss the partnership.

Said the artist: "The Haus of Gaga has been developing prototypes in the vein of fashion/technology/photography innovation -- blending the iconic history of Polaroid and instant film with the digital era -- and we are excited to collaborate on these ventures with the Polaroid brand. Lifestyle, music, art, fashion: I am so excited to extend myself behind the scenes as a designer, and to as my father puts it -- finally, have a real job."

New products by Polaroid and Lady Gaga are scheduled to hit retail shelves starting in late 2010.

Read more here (AdWeek)

Cyndi Lauper and Lady Gaga: The New Faces of M.A.C. Viva Glam Cosmetics

Gaga Lipstick and Viva Glam Cyndi Lipstick, $14 each, will launch in North America on March 18 and globally throughout the month. 100 percent of the proceeds will be donated to the MAC AIDS Fund, which has donated over $135 million to fight HIV/AIDS since 1994.

Ad Spotlight: Fudge Hair Products

One of the first product launches to actively target the LGBT market in the early 90's was Fudge hair products. 

“Our marketing was very unusual and considered quite outrageous in the 90s. No one ever catered for gay people. We were in the Mardi Gras. We went into the gay market because they were immaculate in their dressing and hair care in that period,” said Glen Dean, Fudge's retail manager. 

“We also had unusual names for our products – they all came from songs, like Yellow Submarine and Cherry Bomb. One of our biggest successes was a product that changed brown hair to purple. It was a big fashion trend then and now, it’s purple highlights.”

Fudge introduces two to three new products a year. While the products started out as male-centric, the customer base is now 60% to 70% female.

Some of their latest products include Hard Stuff, an extreme holding product; Shaper Mint, based on the original product; Liquid Erekt, for straightening for blow drying and styling; and Salt Spray, for that raw, sultry, just got out of bed look. There’s also Shaper Lite for flexible and malleable hair, Liquid Skrewd for curls, and Head Shine for that bad hair day.

Fudge is sold at retail stores and professional salons worldwide, and currently, it’s available in 53 countries, including New Zealand, Britain and the United States.

full article here