TJX Cos., Storewide Designer
Inspiring the ire of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, a spot for retailer TJ Maxx depicted a flamboyant, queeny clothing designer who throws a temper tantrum.
Wearing a silk jacket, the limp-wristed designer holds up a newspaper ad for a TJ Maxx sale and decries, "I'm never leaving this room again."
His less swishy but still effeminate designer friend in black tries to calm him down, saying the ad says its for "designers. It's not just about you." Replies the first, "Pardon me, perky! My GORGEOUS creations!"
As he smolders, he throws papers and squishes filled chocolates while his friend calmly says, "You're overreacting." The one in silk decries, "But this is my LIFE we're talking about here!" and he throws a stack of newspapers on the floor.
At the end, with a limp wrist he exclaims, "It's official---I have a migraine!"
Unbelievably, the three notes he plays on the piano at the end spell out (in order) F, A, G.
The ad agency said it used gay employees to help create the ad, who all thought it was funny.
GLAAD sent letters to TJ Maxx and Ingalls.
In the end, the commercial was supported by just a few days of TV and was gone. TJ Maxx's ad agency did not disclose this to GLAAD, but told the agency it would honor their request by "pulling" the ad.
community if we had a problem with it, before they pulled it! The more exposure gays and lesbians have, the more we show how we are up in numbers and out there. Lighten up GLAAD....it was very fun, funny and tastefully done!