Guinness Goes Anti-Gay for St. Patrick's Day

What is up with all the gay hate surrounding St. Patrick's Day?

As far as I know, in all of its 249 year history, the St. Patrick's Day Parade in NYC has never allowed any group or individual to march behind an identifying LGBT banner.   This policy has sparked protests, the staging of alternative, inclusive parades, and even harsh words from the Irish Foreign Minister.

I get it that the Irish are largely of the Catholic faith - a faith not known for its embrace of gays and lesbians - but St. Patrick's day is so far removed from its' religious grounding, that it seems somewhat silly.  For instance, in our celebrations today we will most likely drink green beer in excess and gorge on corned beef and cabbage.  In the 5th Century, however, the namesake of this holiday - the real St. Patrick - said up to 100 prayers in the morning and up to 100 more in the evening.

So, what's religion got to do with it?

What surprises me most is that Guinness - the quintessential brand of St. Patrick's Day (and all things Irish) - has jumped on the anti-gay bandwagon.  Its "St. Patrick's Day Primer" campaign seeks to provide instructions on how to properly celebrate the 'friendliest day of the year' - March 17th - but its humor strikes a negative cord in this, its "Man Hug" spot:

This trend towards the "anti" gay in commercials is troublesome.  It cultivates and reinforces negative attitudes towards gays and lesbians and predisposes audiences to negative responses towards this community in the real world.  

Case in point - audience response to Doritos "Best Part" Superbowl ad.

This clever take on a very shared experience that we all (straight and gay alike) can relate to - licking the 'Doritos dust' from our fingers - was practically crucified for its sexual overtones between two men.  The ad was called "weird," "creepy," and "sickening."

I have spoken critically about brands missing an opportunity to incorporate gay and lesbian market segments into their general market ads.  It is a decision that makes both business, and moral sense.  With so much at stake in terms of profits, and also, in terms of quality of life for gays and lesbians, I am discouraged that more big brands not only miss the opportunity, but choose to work against the LGBT market by making light of us in their ads.

Another Dropped Ball in Terms of LGBT Marketing

Stock photo sites, enema marketers, and even Bollywood have recognized the power of the “Pink Dollar” – the upwards of $800 billion that gay and lesbian (plus bisexual, and transgender) consumers bring to the market.

So, I am wondering what's up with Sealy Mattress?  

This stellar Superbowl ad delivers on multiculturalism; and their tagline – “Whatever you do in bed, we support it” – is both provocative and relevant in terms of the key benefit its mattresses deliver.

But, by choosing not to include a same-sex couple in its ad, Sealy not only undermines its tagline (perhaps warranting a disclaimer – "as long as you do it with a partner of the opposite gender") but also misses out on a prime opportunity to woo LGBT consumers, who have been found to be exceedingly loyal to brands to openly advertise to them.

There is, after all, a whole lot of truth behind the "Subaru driving lesbian" stereotype.

Among all the dropped balls both on the field and during the commercial breaks - this seems to me the one that hurts the most, in terms of opportunity lost for ROI.