Homosexuality in Fashion Advertising Campaigns

[arlekindearrabal]

onehotgrrl, i know u posted that last ad in good spirits, but homosexuality is not the same as tranvestism, transgenderism or transexualism

 

[Lena]

interesting gay advertising/marketing article here

Apparel and jewelry advertising in gay print media increased at more than twice the rate of ads placed in gay publications overall in 2004, climbing 39.2 percent to reach 618 pages, up from 444 pages in 2003. That’s according to the “2004 Gay Press Report,” published by gay media placement firm Rivendell Marketing and Prime Access, a multicultural ad agency.

By comparison, the number of ad pages placed in gay publications last year advanced 17.5 percent, totaling 39,561, versus 33,681 ad pages in 2003.

The growing number of locales sanctioning gay civil unions and the legalization of gay marriage in Massachusetts spurred much of the growth in fashion advertising in gay magazines and newspapers, said Todd Evans, Rivendell’s president and chief executive officer. Apparel ads accounted for 369, or 60 percent, of the 618 fashion placements tracked in the April 2004 editions of 139 gay titles, while 249 jewelry ads made up the difference.

The fashion category’s ad increase marked the ninth-largest percentage gain among 16 sectors with double-digit increases in ads in gay titles in 2004, a group led by health, fitness and grooming ads, which tallied 3,179, up 87.2 percent from 1,698 in 2003. Asked to assess the timing of fashion advertising placed in gay titles — once heavily skewed to gay pride month, in June editions, and holiday, in December issues — Evans said: “Fashion ads have become pretty consistent year-round, which has contributed to the increase. April is a very average month.”

from wwd of today

 

[Fade to Black]

Even though I'm not a fan of the clothing, I must say Abercrombie's advertising is quite bold and clever for the kind of brand it is...

 

[onehotgrrl]

onehotgrrl, i know u posted that last ad in good spirits, but homosexuality is not the same as tranvestism, transgenderism or transexualism

You are absolutely right. My apologies.

 

[torrix]

what can i say? I love Gucci!

 

[ghettofabuleux]

abercrombie

abercrombie is the gayest of the gay! and that is why i love it.

 

[Deleted member 1957]

whats with the nude rugby? the goldish ads look like a versace rip off

 

[jssy4eva]

i'm pretty sure that those are versace...and the rugby...a little too much...you can see his....thing

 

[*AndoraStar*]

i wish this thread were devoted to gays in ads -- women together do not have the same impact, except on straight men

I'm sorry but that IS UNTRUE!
There is NO WAY that we at tfs would get rid of the girl on girl ads!
This site is about FASHION not soley homosexuality.

 

[jssy4eva]

i wish this thread were devoted to gays in ads -- women together do not have the same impact, except on straight men

I don't agree with that...i'm not necessairly turned on by any of these ads, but i think that they all make an impact......imo ads are supposed to be shocking, cause you won't bother lookin at it if somethin doesn't pop out, right???

 

[MODELMADMAN]

I'm sorry but that IS UNTRUE!
There is NO WAY that we at tfs would get rid of the girl on girl ads!
This site is about FASHION not soley homosexuality.

Andora, to be clearer I am suggesting that it might be nice if their were two sites, one with female homosexuality in ads and one with male homosexuality in ads. Sorry that I was not clearer!

 

[Edina Monsoon]

Oh Gucci, Gucci! What would the '90s have been without your pansexual flirtations? Implied homosexuality is always at the core of menswear ads though, no? If we take it for granted that the image is created for the male gaze as gender/film/queer theorists have it, then whenever male models pout, caress and strut they are doing so for a theoretical male audience - how queer. Of course, gay men and women make up the bulk of the fashion buying market so it makes sense to put out attractive images that lure one into the fantasy land of high fashion. That's what these ads represent, a fantasy. I think the most interesting thing about the re-occurence of homosexuality in the Gucci campaigns especially is that they are usually shot with an airy, dreamy feel, one that allows the (gay, straight or bi) viewer to step in without guilt. Thus there is the potential here to tap into those hidden desires and facets of sexuality, just as the images allow an imaginig of great wealth and the lifestyle of sex, parties and celebrity that the campaigns work off. To be frank though, the most 'shocking' thing about this thread has been the responses! Tokyo_Vogue wrote that "Tom Ford loves manass" and jssy4eva said

i don't think that they are try in to say bi-sexual...so much as they are tryin to say that the gucci woman is kind of a sl*t

. Come on people, we are the fashion elite (as Stefan o Pilati has it) so let's stop acting like unenlightened morons and realise that sexuality and gender are powerful things worth understanding.

 

[CharlottefromCA]

wow those pictures ghettofabuleux posted are not only very homoerotic.. they're also have incestuous understones.. they are hot though..

 

[jssy4eva]

To be frank though, the most 'shocking' thing about this thread has been the responses! Tokyo_Vogue wrote that "Tom Ford loves manass" and jssy4eva said .

i don't think that they are try in to say bi-sexual...so much as they are tryin to say that the gucci woman is kind of a sl*t

Come on people, we are the fashion elite (as Stefan o Pilati has it) so let's stop acting like unenlightened morons and realise that sexuality and gender are powerful things worth understanding.

first of all, if you are going to include my name in something ridiculous like this, at least get you facts straight....second.....did u even read what i said...this is a forum...it is meant to give out our opinions...i don't care what someone's sexual preference is nor should you...i agree with shock value, and that you need make your ads and clothes really stand out in order to get people to look at them to begin with......if you saw the first photo that was posted...it feautured 2 men and a women and in my opinion, did not represent homosexuality in ads, it represented, a woman, a woman who some might call sl*tty and others would call adventourous, but it was not homsexual, that is what i meant...to say that we are acting like morons is really just not cool.....

 

[Edina Monsoon]

Well, it's nice to hit a nerve.........

I'm sorry if I offended you jssy4eva, that wasn't my intent. I do have to argue with you though, since the campaign image you posted and discussed was part of the current '3-in-a-bed' campaign from Gucci, your post seemed to imply that the Gucci woman is a 'sl*t' (horrible word) because she dresses in a charged manner and is to be found in the company of two men, on a bed! Since this isn't HUAC era-America in crisis I reserve the right to criticise your language, your snap judgements and your fumbled response to my post. "This isn't Vogue" you say? Well why not? There is never a point in aiming for mediocrity, so aim for the top. Write, think, live as though every thought and breath you have is important and worthy of crafting well, because it is!

 

[Spike413]

Actually, some of those pictures with the twins aren't ads at all, they're from a fashion editorial in Genre I believe.....but yeah, I agree with whoever mentioned the incestuous undertones, cause they're pretty damn blatant, but for better or worse it's a part of homosexual culture.

 

[softgrey]

i wish this thread were devoted to gays in ads -- women together do not have the same impact, except on straight men

the point of this forum is not titillation...
besides...we have straight men here as well as gay men...and gay women and straight women...all are welcome...

this thread is more intended to show how the fashion media uses homosexuality to sell clothing and products...not just to turn someone on...
that would be p*rn...
and we're not a p*rn site here...

 

[Spike413]

Found a few more to add to the collection...

Abercrombie

Balenciaga

Diesel

Valentino

Gaultier

YSL

all photos: CommercialCloset.org

 

[softgrey]

well done spike......

 

[ball79]

and more gucci, natasa v. and erin wasson

Hey I thought this was just about adds not real life.. opps