The Culture Wars Are Going to Hit Every Part of the Ad Business

From Bud Light to Target to regional out of home vendors

I don’t usually wade into discussions on creative or campaigns - and certainly not the culture wars, but given what’s going on in the country, I thought I’d made an exception this week.

It’s hard to believe that just a few short years ago, gay marriage became law of the land in the US, and most Americans had come around to supporting this cause and this community, to where we are today. Somehow being gay has become synonymous with child grooming, and brands that once proudly displayed their LGTBQ+ bon fides are now ducking and covering.

A few weeks ago it was Bud Light shaking up its marketing team after an influencer campaign with a trans creator came under fire. Now it’s Target, pulling stuff off the shelved during Pride Month, as members of the right wing trie to make Pride a bad word.

• @MattWalshBlog “The goal is to make “pride” toxic for brands. If they decide to shove this garbage in our face, they should know that they’ll pay a price. It won’t be worth whatever they think they’ll gain. First Bud Light and now Target. Our campaign is making progress. Let’s keep it going.”

Even for someone who views any talk of purpose-driven marketing as mostly nonsense, this is depressing.

Yet there may be some reasons for hope out there, in the story of a Ukrainian data app of all things.

The company Taimi was looking to launch its brand in the US, while also making a splash in light of the escalating battles over gay rights in many parts of the country. The plan was to roll out a series of out-of-home ads featuring gay couples, drag queens and other LGBTG+ individuals in specific states where rights are under fire.

Taimi’s media and creative agency Known used its data science team to identify high-impact digital and out-of-home media inventory in specific neighborhoods, across a slew of red states – only to be rejected by local out-of-home companies in Texas, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Colorado, Florida and Georgia.

Known President Ross Martin said that while the campaign images were not designed to be controversial or offensive - there’s no nudity, to be sure - rejections poured in, with various excuses. For example, a vendor in Dallas told Known “the creative needs to be updated with new photos with no nudity to be acceptable. Headshots only.” A company in Colorado Springs asked for “tasteful headshots only” while a Tulsa firm warned of “implied nudity.”

An out of home vendor in Chattanooga was more direct - “Creative needs to be updated so that all models have shirts on.”

However, here’s the purple lining. A bunch of other local out of home companies in those states stepped in and accepted the campaign.

Still, the hate mail has poured in. Even as Taimi billboards are being installed in Florida, Known got the following note:

“Let me start by saying you are putting a billboard up right outside of our family neighborhood between schools and a row of churches flat out makes me furious and it's disgusting...I am so beyond furious your company would think this to be appropriate at all I don't care your color...your race...your gender. You realize our kids can see this? Take it down now.”

“I’ve never seen so much backlash so immediately,” said Martin. “This was generating hate calls and letters before the paint was even dry on the billboards.”

Martin said his company consulted with experts such as the organizations GLAAD to get help on making sure the campaign took steps to protect any associated individuals in local markets. Still, you might ask, why take this on?

“Taimi is a bold brand, and they are unapologetic when it comes to reaching, connecting and supporting their community. They’ve chosen to do so even in towns where their community is increasingly under attack.”

Of course, it’s a tad easier for an outsider dating app that is looking to exclusively cater to an LGBTQ+ clientele to dive into such ‘controversy’ versus a global brand like a Target or Bud Light. But there is real executive courage needed to execute something along these lines in today’s climate.

“All of this is happening because we've been socially engineered to get angry about everything, but there is money to be made here in what has become an outrage industry,” said digital ad industry veteran Ian Schafer. “This is less about what people actually think versus people being provoked by the loudest voices in the room. It’s a a strategy.”

A fairly cynical one, that brands have to view with clear eyes, and make a decision about engaging or not.

“You either choose leadership or risk mitigation,” said Schafer.

It remains to be seen whether risk mitigation can work over time. Martin isn’t so sure.

“There is no neutral anymore,” he said. “You can’t stand on both sides. And gone are the days where brands can hide.”