Companies urged to actually broadcast their pro-gay ads on TV
Companies have been urged to actually broadcast ads they make featuring same-sex couples.
A number of companies have shown their support for equal marriage and LGBT rights over the past few years by filming supportive adverts featuring same-sex couples.
However, most of the ads geared towards gay consumers never make it to actual television, for a number of reasons. Some advertisers are squeamish about alienating traditional consumers, while others often rely on going viral online, rather than buying actual ad space.
Corporate giant Procter & Gamble is the focus of a new petition – for filming a supportive Tide ‘ad’ featuring a gay couple… that never actually aired as an advert in the United States.
The ad, features a gay couple doing their laundry – racking up over 250,000 views online. Despite the hype, it never made it onto screens in the US – only airing in the more liberal Canada.
The petition says: “Thanks to social media, the worldwide response [to the ad] was tremendous. Over a quarter of a million people watched it on YouTube, shared it on Facebook, tweeted about it and even called Tide, urging them to air it in the United States.
“The spot was named ‘#1 Commercial of the Year’ by the Logo Network and called, ‘The Superbowl Commercial We Want To See’ — but still didn’t air in the US.
“The American public was clearly ready for Procter and Gamble to embrace its gay and gay-friendly consumers like many of its competitors already had — but to date, this industry leader has not responded to a single media or consumer inquiry about their decision.
It continues: “On the heels of The Supreme Court’s historic decision in favor of gay marriage, please join us, as well as P & G stockholders, and even members of the Gamble family, in asking Procter and Gamble to ‘turn the Tide’ and bring this long-overdue message of consumer inclusion to US airwaves.
“Let them know that our money spent as LGBT and LGBT-friendly consumers is worth their money spent as advertisers (a fact that Tylenol, Chobani and Wells Fargo have successfully capitalized on in the past month alone).
“Tell them that their courage will not only generate greater sales, it may even save lives.”
