Bluetooth for Beckham

Motorola just released an image of the new Motopure H12 Bluetooth headset attached to a perfectly groomed Beckham, just in time. California's hands-free mobile phone law took effect on July 1st.

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #320

BEAUTIFUL WORDS: New McCain ad attacks Obama's oratorical skills.

ENERGY: New Obama ad showcases McCain-Bush embrace.

JUDGE DAVID YOUNG: The gay judge makes his acting debut on The Young and the Restless this Friday, July 11th. Flashback: Towleroad interview.

CHARLIE CRIST: Chris Matthews loves the Florida governor but he doesn't love him.

Check out our previous guides to the Tube here.

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Heinz Gayonnaise-Gate Update

As of this posting, 6,346 people had signed the petition to reinstate the Heinz Deli Mayo ad.

Yesterday, the UK gay rights group Stonewall launched a boycott of Heinz products.

Truth Wins Out's Wayne Besen and the American Family Association's Randy Sharp debated the ad on CNN's Headline News. Dan Hill, a business marketing analyst, chimed in as well.

Watch it, AFTER THE JUMP...

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Neil Patrick Harris Plays 'Pretend' Again for Old Spice

Neil Patrick Harris "used to be a doctor for pretend" and shoots the live action version of his Old Spice ad in the halls of this "pretend" hospital. Love it!

And here's the print ad, if you missed it.

Watch the clip, AFTER THE JUMP...

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #315

WHERE THE HELL IS MATT: An update, 14 months, 42 countries. Hard not to smile watching this.

WHERE'S THE BEEF: a Spoof ad for Cal's Jr.

RUSH LIMBAUGH: Democrats will bend over, grab the ankles, and say, “Have your way with me,” to Blacks and gays.

KARL ROVE: "Yes, I do think Barack Obama is arrogant." You know, as opposed to Rove's old boss.

Check out our previous guides to the Tube here.

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As Heinz Boycott Begins, 1,500 Sign Petition to Reinstate Ad

Following yesterday's calls for a boycott of Heinz by Stonewall's Ben Summerskill in The Guardian over its pulling of a Deli Mayo ad that features a male kiss because of 200 complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority, an online petition was set up by Sam Bannister asking Heinz to reinstate the ad.

The petition reads: "We petition Heinz to reinstate its Deli Mayo TV advertisement following complaints from 200 people as to its 'offensive' and 'inappropriate' content. We feel that the decision to withdraw the advert is wrong in the face of a small number of narrow-minded individuals. By doing so, Heinz have given the impression that they would prefer to cater for the homophobic than the free-thinking, and the decision has provoked upset, brand distrust and outrage among the LGBT community and outside of it. Do not bow down to these homophobic individuals."

As of this writing, the petition had received nearly 1,500 signatures.

Nigel Dickie, a spokesman for Heinz UK, told The Independent that the decision to pull the ad was made form "consumer feedback" and not because of the complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority: "Heinz is a global company and we respect all universal rights. The advertisement was intended to be humorous, not designed to cause offence to anyone. Clearly it failed in its intent to amuse and that is why we took the decision to withdraw it."

The ad, if you missed it, AFTER THE JUMP...

Previously
Gay Rights Leader Slams Heinz for Pulling Gay Ad [tr]
Heinz Deli Mayo Ad Pulled in UK [tr]
Heinz Deli Mayo is Perfect for all Kinds of Homes [tr]

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Gay Rights Leader Slams Heinz for Pulling Gay Ad

Ben Summerskill, head of UK gay rights group Stonewall, has slammed Heinz for pulling its Deli Mayo advertisement, saying the company has insulted a broad base of gay consumers to appease a few vocal right-wing Christians. Writes Summerskill, in the Guardian:

"Any nod at all to the very existence of homosexuality might be enough to have Mary Whitehouse twitching in her celestial bathchair, but the Heinz peck broadcast last week had not even been shown in front of the children the ad is claimed to have upset. (The Deli Mayo it promotes is so unhealthy that Heinz is not allowed to advertise it during children's programmes.) And while Heinz's decision to withdraw the ad might be seen by them as an easy way to palm off 200 fundamentalist Christian complainants, it seems to have been made under the quaint impression that it will cause no offence to Britain's 3.6 million lesbian and gay consumers. Or any of their friends. Or families. Or colleagues. It also seems to have been made mindless of the impact it will have on Heinz's lesbian or gay staff, or graduate recruitment programme. Do young people nowadays really want to work for a business so demonstrably out of touch with the way we all live now?"

Summerskill also said he hopes gays and lesbians will stop purchasing Heinz products.

Previously
Heinz Deli Mayo Ad Pulled in UK [tr]
Heinz Deli Mayo is Perfect for all Kinds of Homes [tr]

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Spice up Your Life with Neil Patrick Harris

Not only can Neil Patrick Harris convincingly play a heterosexual womanizer on TV, he can also hawk traditionally macho brands to consumers. Harris appears in a really great ad for Old Spice antiperspirant in this month's GQ (p. 47).

The ad references back to his Doogie days, reading, as he's pictured placing a stethoscope on a patient's nose: "Body odor protection recommended by former TV doctors, like me."

It also reads, in the small print, "Take it from me, I used to be a fake doctor."

(AfterElton also spotted the ad in Entertainment Weekly)

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Heinz Deli Mayo Ad Pulled in UK

So much for progress. The Heinz Deli Mayo ad featuring a "mum" who was replaced by a New York Deli Chef as well as a gay kiss has been pulled from the airwaves in the UK after receiving more than 200 complaints:

"The Heinz Deli Mayo ad has been pulled after less than a week on air after viewers complained to the Advertising Standards Authority that it was 'offensive' and 'inappropriate to see two men kissing'. Other complaints include that the ad was 'unsuitable to be seen by children' and that it raised the difficult problem of parents having to discuss the issue of same-sex relationships with younger viewers. 'It is our policy to listen to consumers. We recognise that some consumers raised concerns over the content of the ad and this prompted our decision to withdraw it,' said Nigel Dickie, director of corporate affairs for Heinz UK."

It's just horrible to see two grown men in a nurturing environment who obviously care for one another, showing the proper way to bring up children.

The ad, if you missed it, AFTER THE JUMP...

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Bill O'Reilly Doesn't Want Gender-Blending on His Sandwich

Since Bill O'Reilly's drawn to just about anything gay, particularly if it contains a kiss, the UK's new Heinz Deli Mayo ad I posted on Monday of course didn't escape his notice. O'Reilly's guests didn't buy Bill's bellowing that it was gay, gay, gay, and just seeing a New York Deli guy in the kitchen. But that fine line it rides is, of course, the genius of the ad.

I've clipped the O'Reilly segment, AFTER THE JUMP...

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Karl Lagerfeld: Designer in Headlights

Karl Lagerfeld dons a reflective yellow vest for a new French road safety campaign, declaring, "It's yellow, it's ugly, it doesn't match anything, but it can save your life."

According to Bloomberg, "Lagerfeld agreed to pose in the shapeless protective apparel as part of a French government safety-awareness campaign, which was kicked off yesterday. The vest and a reflective triangle will become mandatory for all drivers and cyclists on July 1. The number of traffic deaths in France jumped 10 percent to 346 in May, the highest since the beginning of the year, the Ministry of Environment said on its Web site. Two cyclists have died in Paris since the introduction of free municipal bicycles last year."

Previously
Karl Lagerfeld Worships Model Brad Kroenig in New York [tr]
Karl Lagerfeld to Appear in Grand Theft Auto [tr]
Karl Lagerfeld Has a Diet Coke Butler [tr]

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Obama's First National Ad Begins Airing Today

Barack Obama's first national ad begins running today in 18 states: Alaska, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Virginia.

AmericaBlog notes: "Bush won fourteen of the states on that list -- all except Michigan, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Those other fourteen have been red states -- John McCain really, really needs to win all of them. This year, they're all in play."

Watch it, AFTER THE JUMP...

TRANSCRIPT:

"I'm Barack Obama.

"America is a country of strong families and strong values. My life's been blessed by both.

"I was raised by a single mom and my grandparents. We didn't have much money, but they taught me values straight from the Kansas heartland where they grew up. Accountability and self-reliance. Love of country. Working hard without making excuses. Treating your neighbor as you'd like to be treated. It's what guided me as I worked my way up – taking jobs and loans to make it through college.

"It's what led me to pass up Wall Street jobs and go to Chicago instead, helping neighborhoods devastated when steel plants closed.

"That's why I passed laws moving people from welfare to work, cut taxes for working families and extended health care for wounded troops who'd been neglected.

"I approved this message because I'll never forget those values, and if I have the honor of taking the oath of office as President, it will be with a deep and abiding faith in the country I love."

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Becks on the Beach for Armani

This is apparently one of the new David Beckham images that he'll be unveiling today at a ceremony for Emporio Armani at San Francisco's Macy's this evening. Enjoy.

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San Francisco Street Artist Pleasures Tourists

Some clever street artist took liberties with an ad for the USS Pampanito Submarine at Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco. It certainly seems like a far more exciting tourist destination now.

Gawker lauds it as best in class in the recent trend in "remixing" advertisements, noting, "This is the kind of creative work you can only get when your city leads the country in both gay liberation and designers per capita."

(flickr user joestump)

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Heinz Deli Mayo is Perfect for all Kinds of Homes

Heinz has just premiered an ad in the UK for its Deli Mayo which features a New York deli chef in the kitchen preparing lunch for the kids and the other parent as they head off to school and work.

Heinz's new ad agency AMV BBDO told The Guardian "that the concept behind the campaign is that the product tastes so good 'It's as if you have your own New York deli man in your kitchen'".

And the households that some of those kitchens are in just happen to be gay. Watch how quickly the ad's concept is twisted from one kind of messaging into another.

Watch it, AFTER THE JUMP...

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #310

DAISY: Tony Schwartz, who helped create the famous Lyndon Johnson "Daisy" ad, died at his home in Manhattan.

DID YOU HEAR?: John McCain called his wife a nasty word (warning: language NSFW)

JOAN RIVERS: What she thinks of Russell Crowe. (warning: language NSFW) The UK show is called Loose Women, and Rivers was taken off it at the next break.

VIVA LA VIDA: Robbie referred to the alleged theft of this track from the band Creaky Boards in his music column. Here's some audio evidence that's pretty compelling.

Check out our previous guides to the Tube here.

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Las Vegas Casino Plays the Gay Card

Las Vegas' "Paris" casino (the one with the Eiffel Tower replica) has begun targeting their advertising to the LGBT community with these playing card ads.

(via gawker)

Lesbian version, AFTER THE JUMP...

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Tom of Finland Lays Pipe for Fragrance Ad Campaign

Etat Libre d'Orange has taken an appropriately sexual approach to the guerilla marketing campaign for its new Tom of Finland cologne which I posted about back in January.

According to fragrance site Scented Salamander, "The perfumer-composer for the fragrance is Antoine Lie and to him it had to smell like 'a guy coming out of a shower. He's clean, but not fragranced. And he puts on leather pants.' There is also an outdoorsy aspect to the scent and themes of 'metal, leather, sensuality, beauty and radiance' inspired by Tom of Finland's drawings. Perfume wearers will be carded -- that's right -- as a suggestive sketch is part of the outer packaging (must be on the other side). You will have to be 21 in the US and 18 elsewhere." Notes include a crumpled leaf, suede, metal, pepperwood, iris, tonka, vetiver, and musks.

So for the campaign, Tom of Finland's images have been pasted around Paris. Not randomly, of course, but to protruding public fixtures which tell a tale of their own: men come in all shapes and sizes.

A few more of their paste-ups, AFTER THE JUMP...

Is that a Bike Rack, or Are You Just Happy to See Me? [adrants]

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DNC Blasts McCain Iraq Stance with McClellan Tell-All

The DNC has quickly rolled out an ad highlighting McCain's role in the Bush Iraq war propaganda machine as described in Scott McClellan's new book.

Watch it, AFTER THE JUMP...

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Macy's Celebrates Same-Sex Marriage, Wants your Registry

"First comes love. Then comes marriage. And now it's a milestone every couple in California can celebrate."

This is part of a full-page ad taken out today by Macy's in both the L.A. Times, and also, apparently the NY Times.

Macy's has long been supportive of the LGBT community, though they had some problematic PR issues back in 2006. This is definitely nice to see in the major papers.

See the full ad, AFTER THE JUMP (thanks, evan)...

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Guitar Heroes

I have to say that the Guitar Hero ads were one of my favorite parts of last night's American Idol finale.

Watch them, AFTER THE JUMP...

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Missouri GOP Congressman Attacks Rival Over 'San Francisco Values'

This idiotic ad from GOP congressman Sam Graves (left), whose seat is being challenged by former Kansas City Mayor Kay Barnes, is a lowbrow racist and homophobic attempt to smear Barnes by calling her out on her "San Francisco Values".

Pathetic anti-gay scare tactics are all Graves has left, apparently. Barnes' response to the ad is on the right.

The Graves campaign refuses to apologize for the ad, and additionally trying to connect Barnes with the California same-sex marriage ruling. They told the local FOX affiliate: "The same week Kay Barnes was in San Francisco for a fundraiser, the California Supreme Court issues the most sweeping liberal, activist, pro-gay marriage ruling in the nation."

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Matthew McConaughey Won't Take His Shirt off for America

You may remember Matthew McConaughey's ad for Dolce & Gabbana's The One fragrance, which I posted back in February.

The Daily Mail reports that McConaughey insisted on shooting two ads, one with shirt and one without, to "preserve his modesty" in America:

"'Matthew didn't want to be bare-chested on billboards in America, although he doesn't seem to have a problem stripping off in his films,' says a source. He insisted on having his shirt on for the ad in the States, and off in the one for Europe and Asia.'"

Since when is Matthew McConaughey modest about his body? Haven't seen the one with his shirt on, but really, who wants to? Watch the European version, AFTER THE JUMP...

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I Love You Phillip Morris Billboard Up in Cannes

In Cannes, where the film festival has just kicked off, studios are flaunting their upcoming projects.

Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor get snuggly on a billboard promoting I Love You Phillip Morris, the gay prison romance that's currently being shot in and around Miami.

Earlier this month I posted shots of Carrey and McGregor shooting a scene off the Florida Keys and Carrey and Rodrigo Santoro walking arm in arm in some period Versace threads.

The three have also been spotted in gay nightlife hangouts doing "research" for their roles.

(via Cinematical)

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Does Gaming Turn You On?

Maybe not after you get a gander of this.

Check out this bizarro ad for the Playstation 3 created in Vienna, Austria for the European market.

I can't say it's what anyone wants to see down there but if the ad is real (and there's debate on gaming and gadget sites as to whether it is or not) no doubt it will push a few buttons.

And, it's probably NSFW...

Check it out here...

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MoveOn Announces Winner of 'Obama in 30 Seconds' Contest

MoveOn.org announced "Obamacan" as the winner of its "Obama in 30 Seconds" campaign ad contest. Over 1,100 ads were submitted to the contest.

Watch it, AFTER THE JUMP...

You can view the other finalists here.

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Bravo's Workout Loses Propel After Dissing Cancer Patient

Workout star Jackie Warner allegedly made some remarks recently on the show about a woman's breasts that outraged fans and now have caused the show's sponsor Gatorade Propel, to pull its advertising. According to fans, Warner had her manager take the fall for the remarks.

Here's the lowdown, via one of the show's former fans: "Brian brought in his client to train. Jackie and her office manager were sitting in the office together and they started making fun on Brian's client's breast for being too hard and too perfect and obviously implants. What Jackie and her office manager didn't know was that the clients boyfriend was standing outside their office and heard the whole thing. He walked into Jackie's office and informs her that his girlfriend is a breast cancer surviver. Jackie in turn has the whole scene edited out for the show, and has her manager take the fall for making the statements. But the next day, Brian comes into Jackie's office and confronts her with her statements (because according to Brian, whom I believe) it was Jackie who made the statements about this clients' breast being too hard. Jackie refused to talk about it. Brian continued and in turn Jackie fired Brian."

Warner has since apologized about what happened on the show, saying "The producers decided (regrettably) to create through editing a very different and what I think a very negative show."

Gatorade has apparently pulled its sponsorship, releasing a statement which reads, in part "We have watched the episode in question, and we too were surprised and saddened to see the conversations unfold between these trainers. Since this episode aired, we have heard from many viewers of The Workout who are also consumers of our product, and we understand and relate to your disappointment in what occurred. We have notified Bravo we no longer wish to be associated with The Workout and will be pulling our commercials. Furthermore, we will not renew our sponsorship of this program in subsequent seasons."

Read the entire statement here.

Watch the clip discussed above, AFTER THE JUMP...

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Been There?

AMP Energy drink salutes the walk of shame.

Watch it, AFTER THE JUMP...

(via slog)

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Strong Enough for a Man, But Made for a Woman

Here's a new approach to selling women razors, from Philips. It's airing across Western Europe. Watch it, AFTER THE JUMP...

(via shakesville)

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News: Ling Ling, Jake Gyllenhaal, MIT, Reichen, Kathy Griffin

Smith College students protest, defeat Ryan Sorba, author of The Born Gay Hoax.

One of Tokyo's most famous is dead at 22 (that's 70 in human years).

MIT takes no action against student who threatened LGBT group after receiving an email about the group's end-of-semester celebration. Said the student's email: "If you fucking fags send me something like that once again or contact me in any other way, I swear you won’t be able to study at Sloan for some time because you will spend it at resuscitation department. If this is what you want, go ahead." (email and response)

A new Nike ad directed by Guy Ritchie.

Anglican school council in Australia formally endorses ban on bringing same-sex partners to the school formal: "Up to eight students had wanted to take boyfriends and raised the issue with a senior staff member, who passed the request to Churchie headmaster Jonathan Hensman. At the time Mr Hensman said it was not appropriate for students to take a same-sex partner because escorting a young woman to a formal was part of the boys' education. But after reports in The Courier-Mail Mr Hensman referred the matter to the school council. A brief statement posted on the Churchie website yesterday said the council 'strongly supported the headmaster's position on the school's education programs in social settings'."

Reichen Lehmkuhl splits with model boyfriend Ryan Barry, writes up list of Hollywood dating tips.

Viral campaign for The Dark Knight issues 35 mm film trailers to 12 winners of its contest, each one individually defaced by The Joker.

Presbyterian church court issues conflicted ruling in same-sex union case: "A San Rafael minister who presided over several same-sex ceremonies didn't violate Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) rules, because same-sex marriages don't exist in the church, a church court ruled Tuesday. At the same time, the Permanent Judicial Council's ruling affirmed the right of same-sex couples to have unions, a ceremony that would theoretically have a distinct liturgy. The ambivalent ruling - affirming the rights of gays and lesbians to have their relationships sanctioned by the church but not considering them equal to those of heterosexual couples - is likely to disappoint both sides in the debate."

Tenant who lived in Austrian incest house heard knocking from the basement for 12 years but did nothing: "I wish to God that I could turn back the clock. The signs were all there but it was impossible for me to recognise them. Who would ever believe something so terrible was going on right under my feet? It is a regret I will have to live with for the rest of my life."

Street artist targeting NYC subway ads.

Kathy Griffin was fired from Hannah Montana because she told Jesus to suck it.

Gossip Girl's Ed Westwick is somewhere under the rainbow.

Gay books: Publishing Triangle awards handed out.

Hometown boy makes good: Portland paper profiles Chad White.

Jake Gyllenhaal is opening a restaurant: "The so-called ‘closet chef’ is said to be in the development stages of an organic restaurant project, for which he plans to travel throughout Italy collecting ideas...The actor has always said he planned to open a high-end dining venue by the time he was thirty (he has three years left), as long as his acting career had put him in a position that would make that possible."

Dusty Springfield to be played by...Nicole Kidman?

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Hanes Issues Apology for Ads Using Gay, Racial Slurs

Last week I posted a set of ads for Hanes tagless underwear created by the Bombay division of McCann Erickson, features a man dragging a stereotype- and slur-laden caricature.

After GLAAD sent a letter to Hanes calling their use of slurs to sell underwear "reprehensible" the company released a statement distancing themselves from the ads and apologizing for them.

Wrote Hanes: "[T]hese ads were not developed at the request of Hanesbrands...the ads were developed by advertising agency McCann Erickson for their own purposes and did not receive authorized approval from Hanesbrands. We regret this episode and are taking steps to assure that such an event never occurs again. We apologize to all those offended by the ads. We, too, were offended."

The two other ads I've included again, AFTER THE JUMP...

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Hanes Utilizing Offensive Tags to Sell Tagless Underwear

Via Joe.My.God comes this image of a new ad from Hanes, promoting their tagless underwear with the tagline "Because the World Gives You Enough Labels". The ad features a man dragging a stereotype- and slur-laden character. Joe reports that the ad was created by the Bombay division of McCann Erickson, so it's unlikely to appear in American markets.

With a little digging I was able to find two other ads in the campaign, via Trendhunter. They write: "In Fagg*t, you see same-sex kissing, debauchery, toys, bottles of wine and references to beauty: lipstick, nail polish and makeup. In Nigg*r, you see drugs, guns, jail cells, low-life jobs like cleaning toilets, and text about being HIV positive. In Pak! (a demeaning name for people from Pakistan), you see tanks, bullets, bombs and pigs (an anti-Islamic reference)."

Check out the other two ads AFTER THE JUMP. Effective, or just offensive?

Hanes' "Lipstick" Campaign [joe.my.god]

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Uh Oh, More Scary Crap at 3am

This time, it's economic disaster! Clinton is broadcasting an ad in Pennsylvania saying that she's ready for the crisis. McCain has one waiting in the wings using the same footage warning that Clinton and Obama will raise your taxes.

According to Marc Ambinder at The Atlantic, the McCain campaign is waiting to see if they'll actually broadcast the ad, but it will be sent to his email list.

Watch the clips, AFTER THE JUMP...

I think I need a Lunesta.

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Orlando Orders Male Nipples Erased from WWE Billboard

WWE wrestlers John Cena, Triple H, Randy Orton, Big Show, and boxer Floyd Mayweather appear over Orlando in a billboard for WrestleMania XXIV — but their nipples don't.

When asked about the nipple-less billboard, Orlando's mayor Buddy Dyer seemed to think it was because of city law. Said Dyer: "Apparently there's an ordinance that prohibits them from being displayed."

Turns out that's not the case:

"What happened, said a similarly uncomfortable city spokesman, Carson Chandler, was that city staffers asked the WWE and folks to create banners that weren't too provocative. And somewhere along the way, the nipples were airbrushed out before the giant sign reached Orlando."

WrestleMania's lead-in: 'Nipplegate' [orlando sentinel]

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If the Network Doesn't Frighten You, the Ad for it Might

Zig advertising put together this spot for Scream Television, a network that features, thriller, suspense, and horror movies.

BestAdsonTV writes about the spot : "Zig positions diapers as a viewing necessity in this new ad for Scream TV. The key, says Radke Film Group Director Craig Brownrigg, was making this spot as authentic to kids diaper commercials as possible and then just put in old guys where the babies were."

View the clip, AFTER THE JUMP...

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Truth in Advertising: Bush is the American Psycho

Speaking in a language most everyone in the world can understand, advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi created this billboard to promote the TVNZ premiere of American Psycho in New Zealand.

(via bestadsontv)

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Massive Anti-Meth Campaign Targeting Gay Men Launched in CA

An $11 million campaign targeting gay men who use crystal meth was launched Thursday across California, anchored by a website: MeNotMeth.org.

Said Jim Key, chief public affairs officer of the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center: "In a world that continues to systematically discriminate against gay people, and as long as parents continue to abandon their children simply because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, the use of crystal provides a temporary and dangerous escape, temporarily boosting self-esteem and removing the stigma of being gay."

In addition to its online presence, the campaign features billboards, bus wraps, and a 30-second ad (pictured) which will air throughout the state through June.

The L.A. Times reports: "The Gay & Lesbian Center, along with the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, helped push the Legislature to pass the California Methamphetamine Initiative in 2006. Data from the center's HIV testing program found that nearly one in every three gay or bisexual men who tested positive in the testing program in 2004 used crystal meth -- a threefold increase over 2001. In the state-sponsored survey, gay men were the only group to cite enhanced sexual arousal as part of drug's appeal."

The online site allows users to upload their own videos and provides a list of places to receive assistance.

MeNotMeth [official site]
Anti-meth campaign aimed at gay men [la times]