Essay 517

The editorial below appeared in the April 3, 2006 issue of Advertising Age. The MultiCultClassics rebuttal immediately follows…

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A vote against discrimination

WE COMMEND the Association of National Advertisers and the American Association of Advertising Agencies for endorsing the right of marketers to target gay consumers. This is good business. It’s also a strong reminder that discrimination and intolerance are not the American way.

The ANA and 4A’s signed on as supporters of the Principle of Free Market Advertising Expression, conceived by the Commercial Closet Association, a gay-advocacy group.

The principle states: “In America, all companies have the basic right to determine their own market expression — by advertising and selling to all customers respectfully and inclusively. We oppose all forms of attacks intended to disrupt free commerce based on intolerance and hostility toward any consumers, including gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.”

This declaration is welcome at a time when corporate America is under assault from extremist groups such as Donald Wildmon’s American Family Association. The AFA is boycotting Ford Motor Co. for, among other transgressions, advertising in gay media, promoting diversity and sponsoring a gay-pride event’s “family area” that featured Dr. Dinosaur, Mr. Bubbles and tips on family safety. (Boycotts do make nice fundraisers; Mr. Wildmon’s letter about the Ford boycott asks supporters for “a small gift,” and the AFA collected $10.9 million in such gifts just last fiscal year.)

Ford’s response? It’s standing by its family values of nondiscrimination and inclusiveness. And it’s doing the right thing for shareholders by trying to sell more cars to a lucrative market. Ford’s in good company: The nation’s 10 largest advertisers on average scored 93 out of 100 on the Corporate Equality Index, a report card by the gay-advocacy group Human Rights Campaign on everything from employee benefits to how companies market to gays. Companies that embrace diversity are the mainstream.

The AFA and allied groups are free to boycott whomever they want. But marketers must not let fringe groups set an agenda of intolerance. We salute the ANA, the 4A’s and Commercial Closet for championing the right principle.

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It’s hard to argue with the viewpoints presented by AdAge. Then again, it’s also somewhat hypocritical for a few of the entities involved to present themselves in such a bold, progressive manner.

Ford might deserve a little praise. Ditto the ANA. But for the 4A’s to take such a stand is downright condescending and appalling. Here’s an organization representing an industry that has consistently failed to deliver on diversity initiatives for decades. Respectful and inclusive environments are rare on Madison Avenue. The 4A’s support of the Commercial Closet Association sounds like The Minuteman Project backing immigrant advocacy groups.

AdAge is pretty silly in its pompous position too. DiversityInc.com spanked the publication last year for doing a lousy job of representing minorities in its editorial content (see Essays Fourteen and Seventeen). Now the editors act as if they’re running The Advocate. Puh-lease.

The 4A’s and AdAge should consider walking the walk before talking the talk.