Gay Commercial: Fernet Cinzano

[reviews_and_ramblings]

Various heterosexual men are socializing at a house party. They discuss a statistic that claims one in ten Argentinian men are gay. The men react by adjusting their demeanor to appear as masculine as possible.

They look around the room to notice that there are about ten men present. One of the men notices his pink socks are visible, and he covers them up.

Another man has his arm resting on the sofa above one of the other guys, and he removes it. One of them uncrosses his legs. One covers up a bracelet he's wearing and another tucks his necklace into his shirt. One removes an earring, and another grasps his beverage more firmly.

All of the men look at one of their friends who is standing and sucking on a piece of ice. The friend renders himself the statistic in the eyes of the other men.

A split-screen shot displays the bottle and the product being poured into a glass.

Commercial Closet Association

Company: Cepas Argentinas S.A.
Brand: Fernet Cinzano
Ad Title: Statistic
Business Category: Alcoholic Beverages
Media Outlets: Television
Country: Argentina
Region: Latin/South America
Agency: Euro RSCG Worldwide
Year: 2004
Target: Mainstream

Comments

[norton-gale.livejournal.com]

Cute guys, but the humor totally doesn't translate. Either that or I'm completely thick, which is possible ;)

I think I understood everything until the guy at the end.

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

Actually I haven't even put attention on the translation, the same commercial ran in Italy months ago translated. It's funny but actually, probably no one of them is gay :-)

[zamaxfield.livejournal.com]

That's adorable. The guys are so cute.

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

Different perspective on the same thing, isn't it? You have a broad range of type. Elisa

[erastes.livejournal.com]

I've seen it before, and don't like it at all - all of them reinforcing a stereotype - jewelery is gay, pink is gay, haircare is gay. No. Not a good ad, sorry.

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

Yes, you are right in a way, but there is also another way to read it: that there are no barrier between gays and straights, since all of them can be gay as well as straight. And also that there aren't specific "sign", like a big red arrow, that sign you as gay. Gay can be the guy next you as well as not.

[marquesate.livejournal.com]

That was brilliant! Made me laugh out loud.

Forgot to add: it might allude to stereotypes, but if we stop being able to make fun of stereotypes then we actually re-enforce them. What this ad says to me is the exat contrary: that a) all those stereotypes aren't any, because those chaps aren't gay and b) that those chaps are very silly for thinking the stereotypes are stereotypes. By playing with them in the way the ad does, it actually shows us the futility and stupidity of stereotypes, makes us laugh (laughter is still the greatest weapon and the greatest teacher) and turns the "oh my goodness, you must be politically correct!" into the "oh look, we should be able to laugh about everything: all stereotypes, all beliefs, genders, races, sexualities, and so on and so forth."

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

It's true that when you start to joking on something is the moment when you are almost freed it. Thanks for the great "review" of the ad, and I'm glad you enjoy it. Elisa