more about "Societal Change - Advertising Campaig...", posted with vodpod

Advertising to the gay community is nothing new. MTV, General Motors, Nivea for Men, D&G, and Levi’s are amongst the many brands that have done so.  In fact, according to a report on mygayweb.com, 78% of gay online users prefer to buy from companies that target market to the GLBT (Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender) community (via). And a Gay Press Report in 2006 reported that the total buying power of the GLBT population in the United States was $641 billion in 2006.However, this post is not about commercial gay advertising. It’s about social advertising for the sake of human rights and gender equality within the GLBT community.  For many lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) people, discrimination and fear of disapproval is an acute matter. As teenagers, many run away from home because they feel rejected by their families. Some grow up hiding their sexual orientation for fear of discrimination, harassment, sexual abuse and violence, and often feel segregated, lacking the emotional support they deserve.The following adverts (via Osocio) help address these topics of importance:I’m Glad I Failed is an advertising campaign by The Trevor Project that ran during National Suicide Prevention Week this week in the USA. The campaign targeted lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender teenagers who, as a result of homophobia, contemplate committing suicide. The adverts feature the stories of four young people who are glad that their attempts to commit suicide as a result of intolerance failed for the simple reason that their lives have now changed for the better. It’s backed up by a website and blog.To see a campaign of similar note in South Africa would be great - one that is widespread enough to reach our own teenagers who are going through the very same issues. The New York State Black Gay Network ran a campaign reaching out to inner-city gay African American men in Harlem. The aim of this campaign was two-fold; reach out to community members who don’t know that h