Gay Commercial: Virgin Mobile
Dec. 12th, 2009 10:33 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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jan_irving for this day ad, I read on her livejournal that she saw this commercial plastered on the wall of her city in Canada. It's nice to know and the ad, even if not strictly for an holiday season, has a "merry" feeling ;-)
And this is the female version, more conservative, but all the same nice
And since this is usually a video appointment, here for you two commercials that prove Virgin has been interested in the gay market for some time. Virgin Atlantic Airways was the first airline to advertise in American gay media and the company also sponsored NY's annual dragfest, Wigstock, in 1998.
With a soap box that simply reads "Say Something" as the focus of the campaign for the American rollout of Virgin Cola, there are many variations of political statements and silly setups as people get on top to deliver a message. In this spot set on the California beach in Santa Monica, two middle-aged men, dressed in tuxes atop the box, are married by a woman from the Metropolitan Community Churches. As a male friend watches, she declares, "Michael and Steven, I pronounce that you are joined together in holy union. May you be blessed your whole lives long. Amen. You may kiss." The two men -- who are a real couple -- kiss, rice is thrown and people behind the camera cheer. This is the first commercial in the US where two men kiss. It aired only in New York, LA and San Francisco because Virgin Cola was rolled out in only those cities. Nonetheless, at least one station in each of those most-progressive of cities declined to run the commercial. Interestingly, another variation of the spot has the rabbi stating, "By the power vested in me..." but it was cut from the audio.
Commercial Closet Association
Company: Virgin Group
Brand: Virgin Cola
Ad Title: Gay Marriage
Business Category: Non-Alcoholic Beverages
Media Outlets: Television
Country: United States
Region: North America, US Regional
Agency: Ground Zero
Year: 1998
Target: Mainstream
Set in the Edge bar with dance music playing, fast cut images show people having fun, dancing, men kissing, women kissing and Virgin Vodka being poured. British billionaire Richard Branson, founder of all things named Virgin (Virgin Records was the first), is known for being both gay friendly and PR happy. Branson is known for his PR stunts, including his repeated attempts to fly around the world in a hot air balloon, and donning a bride's wedding dress when he opened Virgin Bride in London.
Commercial Closet Association
Company: Virgin Group
Brand: Virgin Vodka
Ad Title: Edge Bar
Business Category: Alcoholic Beverages
Media Outlets: Television
Country: United Kingdom
Region: Europe
Agency: Arcadia Productions
Year: 1996
Target: Mainstream
jan_irving for this day ad, I read on her livejournal that she saw this commercial plastered on the wall of her city in Canada. It's nice to know and the ad, even if not strictly for an holiday season, has a "merry" feeling ;-) And this is the female version, more conservative, but all the same nice
And since this is usually a video appointment, here for you two commercials that prove Virgin has been interested in the gay market for some time. Virgin Atlantic Airways was the first airline to advertise in American gay media and the company also sponsored NY's annual dragfest, Wigstock, in 1998.
With a soap box that simply reads "Say Something" as the focus of the campaign for the American rollout of Virgin Cola, there are many variations of political statements and silly setups as people get on top to deliver a message. In this spot set on the California beach in Santa Monica, two middle-aged men, dressed in tuxes atop the box, are married by a woman from the Metropolitan Community Churches. As a male friend watches, she declares, "Michael and Steven, I pronounce that you are joined together in holy union. May you be blessed your whole lives long. Amen. You may kiss." The two men -- who are a real couple -- kiss, rice is thrown and people behind the camera cheer. This is the first commercial in the US where two men kiss. It aired only in New York, LA and San Francisco because Virgin Cola was rolled out in only those cities. Nonetheless, at least one station in each of those most-progressive of cities declined to run the commercial. Interestingly, another variation of the spot has the rabbi stating, "By the power vested in me..." but it was cut from the audio.
Commercial Closet Association
Company: Virgin Group
Brand: Virgin Cola
Ad Title: Gay Marriage
Business Category: Non-Alcoholic Beverages
Media Outlets: Television
Country: United States
Region: North America, US Regional
Agency: Ground Zero
Year: 1998
Target: Mainstream
Set in the Edge bar with dance music playing, fast cut images show people having fun, dancing, men kissing, women kissing and Virgin Vodka being poured. British billionaire Richard Branson, founder of all things named Virgin (Virgin Records was the first), is known for being both gay friendly and PR happy. Branson is known for his PR stunts, including his repeated attempts to fly around the world in a hot air balloon, and donning a bride's wedding dress when he opened Virgin Bride in London.
Commercial Closet Association
Company: Virgin Group
Brand: Virgin Vodka
Ad Title: Edge Bar
Business Category: Alcoholic Beverages
Media Outlets: Television
Country: United Kingdom
Region: Europe
Agency: Arcadia Productions
Year: 1996
Target: Mainstream
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Date: 2009-12-12 09:57 pm (UTC)