WHERE SUCCESSFUL ADVERTISING MEETS LGBT EQUALITY

Philip Morris Cos., Falls

Members:

Philip Morris debuted Parliament as the first tobacco brand to advertise in American gay media in 1994.

However, its ads have almost continuously been gay vague, adding a second man as a modification of the mainstream campaign with only a man and woman.

In 1997, an ad with two men and their dog ran just once in OUT magazine and never appeared again.

Philip Morris also began marketing Benson & Hedges to gays in fall 1994 and then in 1996 competitors R.J. Reynolds and Brown & Williamson added their Carlton, Lucky Strike, Moonlight Tobacco Co. and Red Kamel brands to the market, as Phillip Morris also delivered Merit. Since then, Camel Lights, Kool and Salem have followed for a niche market that smokes at a higher rate than the general population.

Despite a now crowded tobacco category in the gay market, only Parliament has committed to creating gay-specific ad creative, even if it is gay vague at best.

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User Comments
FDK
I find it more insulting than supportive that they just throw another guy into their normal straight ads, and figure that's all the effort they need to bother with when it comes to gay ads.