Jump to content

History of LGBTQ marketing

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

LGBTQ marketing campaigns and advertisements (those specifically targeted toward lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer consumers) began in the 1970s and have evolved significantly over subsequent decades, reflecting changing social attitudes and market opportunities.

Early development (1970s–1980s)

[edit]

LGBTQ+ advertising emerged in the 1970s, initially focusing on gay men through local gay newspapers and magazines. Early advertisers were predominantly companies selling "sin products" such as alcohol and tobacco, along with entertainment media promoting films and music.[1]

Beer and spirits brands, including Miller Lite, Budweiser, Coors Light, and Jägermeister, were among the first to target gay male consumers through advertisements in gay publications during the 1970s and 1980s.[1]

National magazines such as Christopher Street (1976–1995) and Blueboy provided platforms for advertisers to reach gay audiences. Blueboy, which had a circulation of 135,000, became notable as the first gay-oriented business to go public on Wall Street.[2] After Dark magazine, while not exclusively gay-oriented, also attracted advertisers seeking to reach its substantial gay readership among its 300,000 subscribers.[3]

Absolut Vodka became a significant early adopter of consistent LGBTQ advertising, beginning in 1991 with regular back-cover advertisements in The Advocate and other publications, continuing this strategy for over 30 years.[4]

Corporate expansion (1990s)

[edit]

The 1990s marked a period of increased mainstream corporate interest in LGBTQ+ advertising. Out, launched in 1992, successfully attracted mainstream advertisers including Benetton Group, Absolut Vodka, Geffen Records, and Viking Press by positioning itself as a combination of established mainstream publications.[5]

The HIV/AIDS epidemic led Burroughs Wellcome to run a national public service campaign urging people to test themselves for HIV. The company faced controversy because it sold AZT, a treatment for HIV/AIDS, and stood to profit from increased testing.[6]

The Advocate, founded in 1967, underwent a major redesign in 1992 to appeal to corporate advertisers, removing adult-oriented advertisements and switching from newsprint to glossy paper.[7]

By 1994, major corporations including Apple Computer, Philip Morris International, and Time Warner were actively pursuing gay consumers in LGBTQ+ magazines like Out and The Advocate.[8]

A significant milestone occurred in 1994 when Swedish retailer IKEA aired what is considered the first mainstream television advertisement featuring a gay male couple. The commercial, which showed two men shopping for dining room furniture, aired only after 9:30 p.m. in select markets, including Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. The advertisement generated controversy, including a bomb threat at a Long Island store.[9]

Also in 1994, Subaru learnt that lesbians were among its top consumer segments and began targeting them in both LGBTQ+ and mainstream media. Some ads featured taglines with double meanings, such as “Get Out. And Stay Out” and “It's Not a Choice. It's the Way We're Built.”[10] Subaru also developed a notable "gay vague" advertising strategy, designed to reach both gay and mainstream audiences.[11] It featured billboards and print ads with coded references such as license plates reading "XENA-LVR" (referencing Xena: Warrior Princess, popular with lesbian audiences) and "P-TOWNIE" (referencing Provincetown, Massachusetts).[12] The company later featured lesbian tennis player Martina Navratilova in commercials and LGBTQ-targeted print advertisements.[13]

In 1995, when HIV/AIDS was taboo and there were no effective treatments yet, Nike ran an inspirational commercial featuring HIV-positive runner Ric Munoz, with its famous tagline, "Just do it," however it did not identify that he was gay.[14]

Mainstream adoption (2000s–2010s)

[edit]

The early 2000s saw expanded participation from automotive companies, with Jaguar, Volkswagen, and Volvo joining Saab, Saturn, and Subaru in advertising to LGBTQ+ consumers through national gay publications.[15] By 2011, major corporations pursuing LGBTQ+ consumers included American Airlines, Campbell Soup Company, General Motors, Macy's, Orbitz, PepsiCo, Procter & Gamble, Unilever, and Wells Fargo.[16] By 2019, numerous companies supported Pride globally, including Listerine, Tesco, Barclays, Amazon, M&S, Ralph Lauren, Boohoo, IKEA, Dr. Martens, Primark, Adidas, Under Armour, Converse, Skittles, Virgin Atlantic, Reebok, Levi’s, Apple, Banana Republic, Abercrombie & Fitch, Starbucks, ASOS, and Disney.[17]

Health

[edit]

As more HIV/AIDS treatments became available, Merck & Co. and ViiV Healthcare faced criticism for upbeat advertisements featuring attractive, muscled models, which some argued misrepresented the severity of the disease.[18] Despite widespread increasing interest in LGBTQ+ marketing, Pfizer did not include gay men in its Viagra advertising campaigns.[19]

Pharmaceutical companies started to include gay men in commercials by 2018. Gilead Sciences, maker of Truvada, aired TV commercials featuring a gay male couple, though the ads did not explicitly mention the drug or PrEP.[20] A year later, Gilead Sciences introduced its first national TV campaign for Biktarvy featuring black, Latino, male, female, gay, bisexual and transgender actors.[21]

An ad campaign in New York and Los Angeles warned gay men of the dangers of using Viagra with crystal meth and asked Pfizer to stop promoting the drug for sexual enhancement without proper warnings.[22]

Retail

[edit]

Retailers Gap and JCPenney attracted attention for their gay-inclusive ads in the early 2010s, including depictions of lesbians with wedding rings and their children in a Mother’s Day catalog.[23] Later that year, JCPenney teamed up with lesbian comedian Ellen DeGeneres for a holiday commercial, which drew backlash from conservative group One Million Moms.[24]

Target Corporation began selling Pride-themed merchandise and creating in-store Pride (LGBTQ culture) displays starting in 2015, contributing to the commercialization of Pride Month.[25]

After Olympian Caitlyn Jenner transitioned around 2016, she appeared in campaigns from fashion retailer H&M and MAC Cosmetics, where she got her own brand of lipstick and 100% of the proceeds benefited the M.A.C. AIDS Fund Transgender Initiative.[26][27]

Other

[edit]

Viacom launched Logo TV in 2005 as an advertiser-supported, LGBTQ-targeted television network. The channel grew from serving 13 million homes at launch to more than 50 million by 2013.[28]

McDonald's created its first gay-themed commercial in 2010 in France that went viral, featuring a young, gay man and his dad with the slogan “Come as you are.”[29] Then in 2016, McDonald's Taiwan had another ad in which a young man who comes out to his dad that also went viral.[30]

In 2013, Amazon ran a commercial for its Kindle Paperwhite featuring a gay couple, two years before nationwide marriage equality was legalized in the U.S.[31]

General Mills entered the fray in 2014, with a Canadian Cheerios ad featuring two gay dads and their daughter.[32]

A groundbreaking 2019 ad for Gillette razors depicted a father showing his transgender son how to shave for the first time. [33]

The 2019 WorldPride march in New York City attracted over 3 million attendees, 150,000 marchers, and 70 corporate sponsors, including L'Oréal, which had 860 employees participate.[34]

Contemporary growth and challenges (2020s)

[edit]

The 2020s brought still more new advertisers and new challenges.

After creating a product in 2020 that resonated with transgender consumers -- a credit card that allows customers to chose the name on it -- Citigroup and Mastercard launched its "True Name" campaign. A trans man shops at a convenience store without being judged or questioned because the name matches his gender identity.[35]

After Oakland Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib became the first professional football player to come out as gay in 2021, the National Football League created a commercial that said, “Football is gay. Football is lesbian. Football is beautiful. Football is queer..." It ends with, "If you love this game, you are welcome here. Football is for all. Football is for everyone."[36]

That same year, the United States Army created an animated recruitment video featuring a soldier "raised by two moms."[37]

Meanwhile, corporations faced new backlash from conservative groups for LGBTQ+ inclusivity, while also being criticized for pinkwashing.

A 2021 study found that 25 major corporations, including CVS, AT&T, Walmart, and Comcast, advertised to LGBTQ+ consumers while simultaneously donating over $10 million to politicians opposing LGBTQ+ rights.[38]

In 2023, Anheuser-Busch faced a Bud Light boycott after partnering with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney, leading to significant sales declines.[39] Similarly, Target relocated Pride displays following conservative backlash.[40] By 2025, 39% of companies reported scaling back LGBTQ+ marketing efforts.[41]

Despite challenges, many brands continued Pride collections, including Levi's, Diesel, Guess, Abercrombie & Fitch, Hollister, Converse, Puma, and Vans.[42] In 2023, Trojan (brand) partnered with gay influencer Kyle Krieger for its Bare Skin Raw condoms with a sexy, tennis-themed ad that received nearly 12,000 likes.[43]

NFL Super Bowls

[edit]

A 1997 Holiday Inn Super Bowl commercial featuring a transgender woman who appears at her high school reunion was pulled after complaints.[44]

LGBTQ+ themed ads began appearing during Super Bowls in the mid-2000s and then frequently during 2010s, often featuring well-known LGBTQ celebrities such as pop star Elton John for Doritos,[45] comedian Ellen DeGeneres for Amazon Alexa,[46] tennis star Billie Jean King for Dove (Unilever brand),[47] rapper Lil Nas X for Doritos and Defy Logic,[48] drag star RuPaul, who first appeared for WebEx[49] then for Paramount Plus,[50] Schitt's Creek actor Dan Levy (Canadian actor) for Homes.com, comedian Wanda Sykes for Novartis[51] and Saturday Night Live star Kate McKinnon for Hellman's mayonnaise,[52] along with Jonathan Van Ness of Netflix's Queer Eye (2018 TV series) for Pop-Tarts.[53]

In 2005, Diet Pepsi won an award from LGBTQ+ advocacy group Commercial Closet Association for airing a Super Bowl spot featuring Queer Eye star Carson Kressley gawking at a handsome man on the street.[54]

Another commercial that was pulled after the Super Bowl was for Snickers. In it, two male mechanics bite start eating opposite ends of a candy bar and end up accidentally "kissing." They try to overcompensate by ripping out their chest hair to prove they are not gay.[55]

While playing “America the Beautiful," Coca-Cola celebrated diversity by showing a variety of people, including the first gay parents depicted in a Super Bowl ad, in 2014.[56]

In the 2016 game, Mini Cooper ran its “Defy Labels” spot in which lesbian retired soccer player Abby Wambach called it a “gay” car while making air quotes.[57]

A Coca-Cola commercial during the 2019 big game portrayed a lesbian couple and celebrated pronouns by saying, "There's a Coke for he -- and she -- and her -- and me -- and them."[58]

For Super Bowl LIV in 2020, there were so many LGBTQ+ references (11 counted) that the game ads total was referred to as a "rainbow wave" by GLAAD.[59] Drag queens Kim Chi and Miz Cracker from RuPaul's Drag Race appeared for hummus brand Sabra (company) in 2020.[60]

Tying into both Valentine's Day and the 2023 big game, McDonald's included a real-life gay couple among a series of couples who demonstrate their love by knowing each other’s McDonald’s orders.[61]

The 2024 game included a commercial with a lesbian wedding kiss from Volkswagen, along with inclusive ads from Hellman's and Homes.com featuring Kate McKinnon and Dan Levy.[62]

Market demographics

[edit]

Early demographic research relied on Alfred Kinsey's studies (1948–1953), which suggested 10% of men were gay.[63]

Contemporary estimates suggest LGBTQ+ individuals represent 7.6% of the U.S. population, with generational differences:

The global LGBTQ+ community had an estimated $3.9 trillion in spending power in 2023.[65] The United States Census recorded 646,500 same-sex couples in 2020.[66]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Smith, John (16 June 2023). "The Evolution of LGBT Marketing in Advertising". The Washington Post. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  2. ^ "Advertising: Homosexual Magazines in Bids". The New York Times. 13 July 1976. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  3. ^ "The Cars of After Dark". The New York Times. 12 April 2007. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  4. ^ Elliott, Stuart (27 October 2011). "Absolut Heralds Its Marketing to Gay Consumers". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  5. ^ "Out is Out". Time. 31 May 1993. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  6. ^ Freudenheim, Milt (15 November 1990). "Burroughs Wellcome Co. Criticized for AIDS Effort". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  7. ^ Freeman, Patricia (25 May 1992). "The Advocate's Makeover for Madison Ave". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  8. ^ Elliott, Stuart (29 March 1994). "IKEA Ads Feature Gay Customers". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  9. ^ Walker, Alissa (26 April 2013). "This 1994 IKEA Ad Was TV's First Ever Ad with a Gay Couple". Curbed. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  10. ^ Griswold, Alison (22 June 2016). "How Subarus Came to Be Seen as Cars for Lesbians". The Atlantic. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  11. ^ Hamilton, William L. (20 July 2000). "When Intentions Fall Between the Lines". The New York Times. Retrieved 5 June 2025.
  12. ^ Elliott, Stuart (30 June 1997). "Homosexual Imagery Spreading in Print Campaigns". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  13. ^ Miller, Lisa (2 January 2014). "Why Do Lesbians Love Subarus?". Slate. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  14. ^ Gallagher, John (2 January 2014). "Long before Colin Kaepernick, Nike featured an HIV-positive gay runner". LGBTQ Nation. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  15. ^ Maynard, Micheline (17 August 2001). "A Welcome Mat for Gay Customers". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  16. ^ Elliott, Stuart (27 October 2011). "Absolut Heralds Its Marketing to Gay Consumers". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  17. ^ Independent Staff (2 June 2019). "Pride London: Are Brands Exploiting LGBT Consumers?". The Independent. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  18. ^ Salon Staff (8 May 2001). "The 'Joe Camel' Ads of AIDS?". Salon. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  19. ^ Salon Staff (22 October 2015). "Where's Our Gay ED Ad?". Salon. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  20. ^ NBC News Staff (30 May 2018). "With TV Ads, Drugmaker Gilead Brings HIV Prevention Drug Out of the Closet". NBC News. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  21. ^ Snyder, Beth (17 April 2019). "Gilead's first big TV push for triple combo Biktarvy showcases HIV diversity". Fierce Pharma. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  22. ^ Advocate Staff (13 December 2006). "Ad Campaign Calls on Pfizer to Stop 'Irresponsible' Promotion of Viagra". The Advocate. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  23. ^ Grinberg, Emanuella (17 May 2012). "J.C. Penney and Gap's Gay-Themed Ads Seek Profit With Progress". HuffPost. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  24. ^ Today Staff (6 December 2012). "Ellen DeGeneres Christmas Commercial Upsets One Million Moms". Today. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  25. ^ Graham, David A. (3 June 2015). "The Corporate War Over LGBT Rights". The New Republic. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  26. ^ Tunell, Alexandra (11 March 2016). "Caitlyn Jenner Is the Face of H&M Sports". Harpers Bazaar. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  27. ^ Gonzales, Erica (26 February 2016). "Caitlyn Jenner Gets Into the Beauty Game with Her Own M.A.C. Lipstick". Harpers Bazaar. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  28. ^ O'Connell, Michael (12 September 2013). "Lisa Sherman Resigns as Logo TV President". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  29. ^ Green, Jessica (2 June 2010). "McDonald's releases first gay ad in France". PinkNews. Retrieved 1 July 2025.
  30. ^ Reynolds, Daniel (7 March 2016). "Taiwan McDonald's Coming-Out Ad Goes Viral". The Advocate. Retrieved 1 July 2025.
  31. ^ HuffPost Staff (21 February 2013). "Amazon Kindle Backs Gay Marriage With New Commercial". HuffPost. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  32. ^ Stern, Mark Joseph (3 October 2014). "This Cheerios Commercial Featuring a Gay Couple and Their Adopted Daughter Is Adorable". Slate. Retrieved 1 July 2025.
  33. ^ Picchi, Aimee (29 May 2019). "New Gillette ad shows dad teaching transgender son how to shave". CBS News. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
  34. ^ Beauty Packaging Staff (17 June 2019). "L'Oréal USA is the Official Sponsor of WorldPride 2019". Beauty Packaging. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  35. ^ "Citi Launches "True Name" Feature with Mastercard Across the U.S." Mastercard.com. Mastercard. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
  36. ^ Lee, Michael (29 June 2021). "NFL declares that 'football is gay' in commercial supporting Carl Nassib". The Washington Examiner. Retrieved 1 July 2025.
  37. ^ Hall, Louise (13 May 2021). "US Army launches new animated recruitment video featuring LGBT+ family to diversify intake". The Independent. Retrieved 1 July 2025.
  38. ^ EPGN Staff (16 June 2021). "New Report Finds Corporations Are Rainbow-Washing Pride". Philadelphia Gay News. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  39. ^ USA Today Staff (9 May 2024). "Bud Light Boycott: Sales Still Down After Dylan Mulvaney Controversy". USA Today. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  40. ^ USA Today Staff (23 May 2023). "Target Removes Some Pride Merchandise After Backlash". USA Today. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  41. ^ Meyersohn, Nathaniel (2 June 2025). "Brands Pull Back on Pride Month Support". CNN. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  42. ^ PinkNews Staff (29 May 2025). "Pride Month 2025: Best Fashion Collections". PinkNews. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  43. ^ USA Today Staff (8 August 2023). "Watch Kyle Krieger Get His Nipple Teased in Steamy Trojan Ad". OUT. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  44. ^ Pichee, Aimee (30 January 2015). "When Super Bowl ads go bad". CBS News. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
  45. ^ Klara, Robert (13 February 2023). "After Years of Gains, the LGBTQ+ Community Was Mostly Missing From Super Bowl 57 Ads". Adweek. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
  46. ^ Schlosser, Kurt (29 January 2020). "What did people do before Alexa? Amazon has the answer in Super Bowl ad with Ellen DeGeneres for Alexa". GeekWire. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
  47. ^ Shatzman, Celia (4 February 2025). "Billie Jean King On Joining Dove's Squad To Keep Girls In Sports". Forbes. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
  48. ^ Kaufman, Gil (2 February 2021). "Lil Nas X Previews New Song 'Montero (Call Me by Your Name)' in 2021 Super Bowl Ad: Watch". Billboard. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
  49. ^ Thomas, Owen (7 October 2020). "Does Cisco need RuPaul? Because all this video-chat competition is a real drag". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
  50. ^ Ennis, Dawn (6 February 2021). "These are the 4 LGBTQ-inclusive ads that appeared during the Super Bowl". Outsports. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
  51. ^ Sprayregen, Molly (10 February 2025). "Super Bowl ads featured fewer LGBTQ+ people this year. Is anti-DEI fervor to blame?". LGBTQNation. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
  52. ^ Vincenty, Samantha (12 February 2024). "Kate McKinnon and Pete Davidson Team Up for "Mayo Cat" SB LVIII Commercial". NBC. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
  53. ^ Lundstrom, Kathryn (29 January 2020). "Jonathan Van Ness Helps Pop-Tarts Add Sparkle to Boring Pretzels in Super Bowl Spot". Adweek. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
  54. ^ Seckler, Valerie (25 May 2006). "Diet Pepsi Ad Gets Image Award". WWD. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
  55. ^ Pichee, Aimee (30 January 2015). "When Super Bowl ads go bad". CBS News. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
  56. ^ Poniewozik, James (2 February 2014). "Coca-Cola's "It's Beautiful" Super Bowl Ad Brings Out Some Ugly Americans 4 minute read". Time. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
  57. ^ Zeigler, Cyd (5 February 2016). "Watch Abby Wambach show off a 'gay car' in new Super Bowl commercial". Outsports. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
  58. ^ Sobel, Ariel (2 February 2018). "Coca-Cola's 2018 Super Bowl Ad Celebrates LGBT Americans". The Advocate. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
  59. ^ Sopelsa, Brooke (3 February 2020). "Super Bowl LIV: LGBTQ advocates applaud event's 'rainbow wave'". NBC News. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
  60. ^ Knox, Liam (21 January 2020). "Drag queens to make historical debut — during Super Bowl LIV". NBC News. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
  61. ^ Sprayregen, Molly (15 February 2023). "This adorable Super Bowl ad featured a McNugget-loving gay couple". LGBTQ Nation. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
  62. ^ Maskell, Emily (14 February 2024). "Volkswagen's Super Bowl advert features lesbian wedding". The Pink News. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
  63. ^ "Diversity of Sexual Orientation". Kinsey Institute. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  64. ^ Chavez, Nicole (25 January 2024). "Gen Z Adults More Likely to Identify as LGBTQ+". CNN. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  65. ^ "Financial Realities for the LGBT Community". Merrill Lynch. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  66. ^ "Same-Sex Couples in the U.S." Williams Institute. 2020. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=History_of_LGBTQ_marketing&oldid=1298525142"