Gay Commercial: Sony MiniDisc

[reviews_and_ramblings]

I think jaye_valentine  will like this commercial, even if it could have been a bit more... naughty. Anyway I like the idea, even if I would have preferred for the male car driver to be a little more "pretty", but I read comment around of people who like the butch imaginery.

In a clever commercial about the uniqueness of identical twins, the ad shows the similarities of two young men as they get ready in the morning.

As if in the military, Erik and Derek get ready together in the morning, shaving and even showering together. They wear the same clothes and each makes his own music mix for their MiniDisc players. They both leave their apartment together and wait to be picked up.

One is picked up by a sexy woman in a slinky outfit, and the other is picked up by a rather unlikely, not-so-attractive (by idealistic advertising standards), goateed wrestler. The ad agency, which clearly intended for somewhat of a shock effect with the wrestler, purposely picked someone who does not reflect society's general view of "beauty" and absurdly put him in a wrestler's outfit.

Commercial Closet Association

Company: Sony Corp.
Brand: Sony MiniDisc
Ad Title: Twins
Business Category: Consumer Electronics
Media Outlets: Television
Country: Australia , New Zealand , Philippines
Region: Australia/New Zealand
Agency: Generator
Year: 1999
Target: Mainstream
Ad Spotter: Michelangelo Signorile

Comments

[lusiology.livejournal.com]

LOL. Loved the ending. :)

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

The man could be a little more pretty though ;-) Elisa

[lusiology.livejournal.com]

True and I wonder if the man was chosen for the pantomime element rather than a realistic choice of partner. Pity the female choice didn't match.

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

I think they wanted to shock, but since the gay element was innovative enough, with a pretty man would have been the same and way more attractive for a wider audience. Elisa

[janedavitt.livejournal.com]

I agree; make him the same man, sure, but dress him in normal clothes, because that outfit is just silly when it's clearly cold.

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

I think the final punch was not necessary, as you said, the same man in a normal outfit would have been enough puching boundaries already like that. Elisa

[lucifuge-5.livejournal.com]

*giggles* I loved it. Yes, even the fact that the gay twin's partner was atypical to what is shown in the majority of advertising.

The fact that the gay partner wasn't, well, what could be considered attractive by the mainstream standards just made it (strangely) more real, you know?

Upon watching it a second time, I wondered about how those two had met. Hee!

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

LOL, so you are among the people who like all of it, you are not the only one. Maybe if the gay twin's partner wasn't in that wrestler outfit... anyway, it was a nice commercial, and yes, maybe in this way it's more real. Elisa

[mammarella.livejournal.com]

OMG! Such a great video! I laughed my as... hm... - I mean - head off! :D
Thank you!
***
I think the final scene with a funky outfit is actually a great touch. Commercial would not have been nearly as funny! It definitely draws your attention and makes it more appealing to the not-so-gay-friendly audience. Well, at least that's my opinion.
I showed it to my hubby who is not homophobic but would rather not watch anything openly gay and he played it twice, giggling :D

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

Well, so maybe the ad reach is purpose, to be mainstream. Elisa

[ebony-silvers.livejournal.com]

That's too funny. Whatever the message is, it's at least positive.

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

Very positive, even if I still think the cute gay twin would deserve a better looking man ;-)

[ebony-silvers.livejournal.com]

We'll just have to hope he likes bears.

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

Indeed from the big smile, he seems to like them ;-)