WHERE SUCCESSFUL ADVERTISING MEETS LGBTQ+ EQUALITY

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Company: Unilever
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Brand: Click/Axe
Ad Title: Gangster of Love
Business Category: Personal Products
Media Outlets: Television
Country: Argentina
Region: Latin/South America
Agency: unknown
Year: 2005
Target: Mainstream
Ad Spotter: Brian Hamilton
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Theme(s)

LGBTQ+ Inclusion

Theme Breakdown

AdRespect Score: 
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The blues beat of "Gangster of Love" plays as superstar actor Ben Affleck walks through a grocery store and a pretty woman flashes a huge smile at him. In his pocket, his hand clicks something.

In the dry cleaners, another beautiful woman at the counter flirts heavily. Holding a clicker/counting device, he clicks again -- each time a woman gives him fawning attention.

Then Affleck is sitting at a café by himself. His waitress is flirting with him, as are some of the female patrons, one sexually puts an asparagus stick into her mouth. He clicks the counter after each exchange.

When in a store trying on shoes, a woman sits up against him, doing the same. He discreetly clicks the device another time.

As he exits the store, the salesman hands Affleck his bag with an overly-enthusiastic smile. After considering whether or not his tally counts from a male, Affleck clicks the counter again.

A school bus filled with female soccer players drives by, and they're all looking seductively at the actor. He clicks in rapid succession as the bus passes to count them all.

Now it's the evening at a lounge and he's dressed up a bit. Once again, all the women in the bar notice him, giving flirtatious glances.

As he's leaving the lounge, he enters an elevator already occupied by a handsome young man dressed in a work uniform. Ben confidently looks at his clicker, noticing his grand total, 103. He feels pretty smug, until the man next to him pulls out a clicker of his own, trumping Ben's total with the much larger 2,372. Ben smiles awkwardly, and the elevator door closes.

This commercial earns an Equal rating because the admiration from the male retail clerk was accepted by Affleck the same as the women.

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Bobby , Miami Beach, FL
It wasn't gay, it wasn't straight, it was booooooooooring.

Terrence , Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Well done! This positive and inclusive acceptance of admiration from another man goes a long way to reducing the sometimes violent over-reaction to same- sex attention that is usually reinforced and normalized in other representations.

Can you imagine a man slugging a woman in the face because she flirted with him, he did not find her appealing, and he was offended by her attention?

Being found attractive by anyone, whether gay/straight, young/old, or male/female, is a compliment, period. We may be surprised, but there is no offense to be taken. Just take the compliment for what it is, and only pursue it if you're interested.

Ben Affleck is comfortable with gay people. In fact he is very close with his gay cousin and participated in the StayClose.org PFLAG media campaign of celebrities who affirm and support their gay family members, and want to model this support and acceptance for other families. These ads are included in this site.

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