A couple of weeks ago, my group presented our advertising leadership project on the use of love stories in advertising. We covered conventional love between two people, animal love, family love, et cetera. One type of love story that has appeared in advertisements recently is gay love. The Tiffany advertisement we presented the other day showed a product which will be used mostly by the gay community. It was a great ad. Not only was the advertisement elegantly produced, but it also made us feel something. The following Canadian advertisement for Cheerios tells a touching story about two gay men and the daughter they adopted together.
Gay marriage is a hot topic in both America and Canada. While many believe that everyone should have the right to marry, some believe that the marriage of same sex couples is wrong. Oftentimes, those against gay marriage say that it ruins the meaning of family. This advertisement for cheerios seems to show the exact opposite, a growing family. General Mills, the company that owns Cheerios brand, appears to be taking a stance in favor of gay marriage with this advertisement. The Tiffany ad is different from the Cheerios advertisement because it sells a product for gay men to gay men whereas the Cheerios ad sells a traditional family product to a non-traditional family. Do you think that it is a smart move for General Mills to take a side in the gay marriage debate? Was it wise for them to choose the pro gay marriage side? What types of consequences do you think this decision will have for the company?
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I think this is a great move on Cheerios part. In most cases, I think their campaign change will attract more people than it will lose.
A) This advertisement probably wasn’t aired during a high traffic period or channel – more likely it was during a time that the homosexual demographic was tuning in, based on research. So chances are people who would be upset about this may not have even seen it.
B) A large number of people do not care enough to change their habits or favorite foods, simply because the company took a stand one way or the other. Not enough to negate the number of gays who really appreciate Cheerios standing behind them.
In addition, Cheerios is leaning into the winds of change. What I mean is: Gay marriage is quickly becoming an accepted part of modern day life. It’s hard for government to take a stand based on religious ideals so no matter what eventually gay marriage will be legal in both Canada and the US. So Cheerios did the smart thing by airing such an ad as early as they did. In the homosexual community, they will be highly regarded and could potentially gain a whole new demographic.
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I love this commercial and that Cheerios continues to show ads that may be seen as controversial but are in support of a new age of acceptance and tolerance. I enjoyed this ad as well as the ad they had before with the interracial family. These types of ads still strike attention while having the capability of making a difference in the minds of viewers.
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