WHERE SUCCESSFUL ADVERTISING MEETS LGBTQ+ EQUALITY

AdRespect Ad Library Profile

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Company: Reebok International
    View Company Scorecard / Contact Company
Brand: Reebok
Ad Title: Defy Convention
Business Category: Fashion/Apparel
Media Outlets: Television
Country: United States
Region: North America
Agency: Berlin Cameron & Partners
Year: 2001
Target: Mainstream
Ad Spotter: Alex Johnson
Company: Reebok International
    View Company Scorecard / Contact Company
Brand: Reebok
Ad Title: Defy Convention
Business Category: Fashion/Apparel
Media Outlets: Television
Country: United States
Region: North America
Agency: Berlin Cameron & Partners
Year: 2001
Target: Mainstream
Ad Spotter: Alex Johnson
Company: Reebok International
    View Company Scorecard / Contact Company
Brand: Reebok
Ad Title: Defy Convention
Business Category: Fashion/Apparel
Media Outlets: Television
Country: United States
Region: North America
Agency: Berlin Cameron & Partners
Year: 2001
Target: Mainstream
Ad Spotter: Alex Johnson
Company: Reebok International
    View Company Scorecard / Contact Company
Brand: Reebok
Ad Title: Defy Convention
Business Category: Fashion/Apparel
Media Outlets: Television
Country: United States
Region: North America
Agency: Berlin Cameron & Partners
Year: 2001
Target: Mainstream
Ad Spotter: Alex Johnson
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Theme(s)

Age Diversity

Racial Diversity

Same-Sex Affection

LGBTQ+ Inclusion

Theme Breakdown

AdRespect Score: 
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Set to the music of the William Tell Overture, people do a host of things that "defy" normality.

A sumo wrestler jumps off a spring board onto a pommel horse, a guy races down hill on a grocery cart, a woman ecstatically photocopies her rear at the office, a naked man runs on a golf course with "this is the last hole" painted on his backside and an arrow pointing at his bottom.

Amidst all the activity, the ad also includes two male American soldiers, passionately kissing while in uniform.

The tagline: "Defy Convention."

The ad was shot in Thailand, the US, the UK and France for a multi-national feel, and aired in the U.S. immediately following Super Bowl XXXV
during the first episode of CBS' "Survivor II: The Australian Outback." It also ran across Europe.

"Defy Convention is a celebration of individuals who have defied the odds; people who encounter difficulties and find the wherewithal to succeed, despite those challenges," says John Wardley, vice president of brand communications, in a company press release.

Reebok International Ltd. is headquartered in Canton, MA., and is a leading worldwide athletic, fitness and casual footwear, apparel and equipment company. Other unites include The Rockport Company, Ralph Lauren Footwear and The Greg Norman Collection.

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Frank , Los Angeles
Well, thanks for acknowledging us in the big wide world, but the cut is so quick the viewer can't really tell what's going on. So if you can't really see it, does it even matter if it's there?

Mark , Austin, TX
I think it does matter that it shows the two male soldiers kissing because the ad was heavily edited. You can see the edited version on YouTube. It's weird how different the two versions are. The song by DJ Shadow is great, though. The fact that it was changed so much is another unnecessary intrusion by censorship and the thought police.

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Leeches
Company: Reebok International
Brand: Reebok
Country: United States
Region: North America
Year: 2000

AdRespect Score:


Venom
Company: Reebok International
Brand: Reebok
Country: United States
Region: North America
Year: 2000

AdRespect Score:


I'm Comfortable Being A Man
Company: Reebok International
Brand: Rockport
Country: United States
Region: North America
Year: 1998


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