Gay advertising
Request a Demo
How an Ad Campaign Made Lesbians Fall in Love with Subaru
Subaru’s marketing strategy had just died in a fit of irony.
It was the mid 1990s, and sales of Subaru cars were in decline. To opposite the company’s fortunes, Subaru of America had created its first luxury car—even though the miniature automaker was established for plain but dependable cars—and hired a trendy advertising agency to reveal it to the public.
The new approach had fallen even when the ad men took irony too far: One ad touted the new sports car’s top speed of 140 MPH, then asked, “How vital is that, with extended urban gridlock, gas at $1.38 a gallon and highways full of patrolmen?”
After firing the hip ad agency, Subaru of America changed its approach. Rather than rival directly with Ford, Toyota, and other carmakers that dwarfed Subaru in size, executives decided to return to its old focus on marketing Subaru cars to niche groups—like outdoorsy types who liked that Subaru cars could manage dirt roads.
This find for niche groups led Subaru to the 3rd rail of marketing: They discovered that lesbians loved their cars. Lesbians liked their dependability and size, and even the n
71+ of our favorite LGBTQ+ owned brands to support year rotund
Pride Month serves as a reminder of the progress made for LGBTQ+ representation worldwide, and is a special opportunity to highlight LGBTQIA+ owned brands. Helping shoppers learn about these companies encourages support beyond the month of June, especially when public presence is more important than ever: Even though more than 50 years have passed since the Stonewall uprising, discriminatory anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, anti-LGBTQ+ hate and major companies rolling back their LGBTQ+ sustain are rising at alarming rates.
“Queer entrepreneurs are going to stare at the world differently because the world is not always a safe or kind place for us,” says Helen Russell, a co-founder of Equator Coffees. “Increased exposure for these brands can mean new allies, not just new customers.”
We spoke to Russell and several other Homosexual entrepreneurs to learn more about the successes and challenges they face while running their companies. We also rounded up our favorite LGBTQ+ owned brands to shop from, and notable products we think you should perceive about.
SKIP AHEADBeauty brands |Clothing and accessories brands |Food and It is often said that ’life imitates art and art imitates life.’ If that were true, 5.6% of all advertisements in the US alone would feature an LGBTQ+ personality, and not just during the month of June. Today, Lego can release a rainbow lego set predicated on the idea that “Everyone is Awesome.” Global brands like Coca-cola, Verizon, and Gillett have petite to no hesitation overtly advertising to and on behalf of their Homosexual audiences. In fact, it is more of a risk not to film inclusive advertisements considering the $3.7 trillion purchasing dominance of the LGBTQ+ society and their higher than average brand loyalty. According to our Global Workplace LGBTQ+ Attitudes Survey, eighty-one percent of LGBTQ-identifying individuals and allies are more likely to purchase a good or product from a company that supports LGBTQ+ equality. The history of LGBTQ+ representation in advertising is relatively short. However, given the history of coded language and subtle messaging among the Queer community, it is no surprise that many brands were able to serve around the homophobic policies and sentiment of the 70s and beyond. 50 years ago, LGBTQ+ advertising was reserved for alcohol and tobac In 2022, LGBTQ+ representation in advertising has show up a long way. With themed Identity merch and targeted ad campaigns, more and more companies are showing solidarity with the Queer community. The world is starting to observe that the homosexual community is deeply influential with a powerful voice. However, when it comes to how Queer people are represented in advertisements, there’s still progress to be made. People in the queer people make up 7.1% of the population (including over 20% of Generation Z). The advertising voice still falls concise of these numbers. Four in 10 people in the LGBTQ+ community undergo they aren’t fairly represented in brands. Another 31% utter they feel that marketing portrays them badly. And while queer-themed advertisements aren’t hard to identify during Pride, the power of Gay visibility goes far beyond the month of June. Getting gender non-conforming representation in advertisements right is more important than ever. Statistics show that LGBTQ-inclusive ads can improve brand recall, inspire more purchases, and build a more progressive firm image. While the global queer community’s purchasing power is es
Timeline of LGBTQ+ Inclusion in Advertising