Post 3

   Post 3

American Airlines is the winner: In 1994, the airline giant spent only $300k to cause
a splash and generate revenue of over $190M within 5 years. It continues to support
the LGBT community and together with Apple and other progressive companies,
denounced the NC law in 2016 that would end LGBT protection. (photo from the Times
Union Website, credited to AP Photos/American Airlines.).

I come across this ad from American Airlines, proudly displayed on a bus stop within the Chelsea district of Manhattan. It states, “Here’s to His and His Beach Towels”

The advertising space has come a long way in promoting more diverse thoughts and ideas, and inclusion. For the most part, however, binary systems still exist to make the rest of us that do not quite sit on the zero-level (i.e. heterosexual man or woman only) of the gender spectrum as outsiders to this highly exclusive space...but advertising is slowly but surely catching on, and they've been doing it since the early 1900's.

It made me wonder how this ad would work in spaces like the Financial district, or Crown Heights. Or how it would even work in my (rather sterile) and “family-oriented” neighborhood of Forest Hills? Should this only work in neighborhoods like Chelsea?

In the foreground, two towels lie on separate chairs on a beach; in the background, a male couple are holding hands as they are headed to the pristine blue waters. Yes, we assume that they are a couple as they are holding hands, wearing beach trunks that do not scream any sexualized statements. The entire ad is geared to the gay community and the gay consumer but is definitely applicable to ANY market in urban cities where diversity is the norm. 

But this is American Airlines . According to research,  35% who fly this airline are in the age bracket of 18-29 and a whopping 40.37% are in the 30-49 range age group. Both are demographics of consumers who are professionals, making decent wages that could afford vacations. If so, it can be assumed that this consumer is also more forward thinking, and progressive seasoned life travelers. The power hierarchy here is the airline itself, its message and its ability to attract the spending power of the demographic it reaches. They blew only $300k – a drop in the advertising bucket in 1994, and this type of campaign generated over US190 million within five years. American Airlines therefore makes their brand appear fashionable,  in a neighborhood where trends are started. As mentioned in the article, Commodity Lesbianism, this is a type of “gay window advertising is a logical outgrowth of capitalist development, one which presumably will lead to more direct forms of marketing in the future.” (148). Further into the article, it also informs us that capitalists enjoy shaking the boat when it comes to diverting from the idealized versions of the standard family model. It aims to “invite us to be part of a fashionable “in crowd” (147), and “promotes a liberal discourse of choice that separates sexuality from politics and connects them both with consumerism.” (148)

For my part, I don’t think it targets anyone but the more savvy and season traveler who does not react to the novelty of gayness. For this demographic, they ambit spaces in their lives where the LGBT community is part of their community, and not necessarily a separate unit. Perhaps that’s my idealized world and the bubble I live in here in New York City. This may be a different conversation if I were in the bible-belt states. I can only imagine that Southwest Airlines would make a killing for those offended by this piece. The reactionary bit is where perhaps racism and sexism would appear, generating a reactionary income generator to another. more conservative airline.

For my part, I consume very little new media. It is a conscious decision on my part. But being part of this century’s generation of millennials, I consume nonetheless, from Facebook, to Twitter, Netflix, and podcasts like Chamomile and Clove (a podcast dedicated to my favorite book series, the All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness. Shameless plugging done on purpose). I am a conscious consumer and have realized that the ads and marketing space I receive are all geared towards my shopping history. Data analytics has pegged me as a shopper at Amazon and Etsy (I had to get something from here only once before), enjoy French movies and will therefore market European cruises, and wine from places I dream of visiting, while at the same time touting subscriptions to ABC Mouse, the newest Lego sets, and new bike helmets (I don’t have money to burn). Then again, I have also booked flights using American Airlines, soo ads from their company do appear in my viewing space, but perhaps only those marketing pieces that knows I am in a heterosexual relationship. My niece, who is openly gay, sees this type of ads in her visual space all the time. 

Data analysis reads that I am a woman with sons, older perhaps than the less than 30 age range who enjoys watching foreign film and reads a lot about novels where history and wine must feature. Cookies, anyone? Will veer offline on the topic of  website cookies bit for a moment. Heaven forbid they be named anything less desirable, like bedbugs or slugs. Either way, that’s what they do – suck the information out of you. Real cookies don’t do that.

Anyway, data analytics has made a narrower field of “viewing” material for me, thinking “logically” that my 8-second attention span to ads will never respond to AARP ads, Victoria’s Secret’s sale, a skydiving trip, or a fancy vacation trip to Vegas.

Sometimes I wish it would anyway, for it has taken my ability to open my awareness to new things I might enjoy. Much to my chagrin, looking at an AARP ad might remind me to review my savings and my health plans; a secret sale at Kohls or Victoria’s secret might just remind me to also take self-care and indulge myself without guilt. That vacation to Vegas? Imagine skydiving in Vegas? I know I am. Did I mention that I’ve forgotten all about my last vacation already? Perhaps it’s time to visit the American Airlines website after all.

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Note to reader: I used Clark’s writing on Commodity Lesbianism as it applies to advertising and its intentions towards the LGBT community.

Source Readings:

Bruce, Jenna. “Do Your Print Ads Grab Attention Fast Enough?” Home Page, www.mediaspacesolutions.com/blog/do-your-print-ads-grab-attention-fast-enough

Clark, Danae. “Commodity Lesbianism.” Out in Culture: Gay, Lesbian and Queer Essays in Popular Culture. Duke University Press, Durham, North Carolina, 1995., 142-151.

“Passengers of American Airlines in the U.S. 2018, by Age | Statistic.” Statista, www.statista.com/statistics/227443/airline-passengers-of-american-airlines-usa/.

“Case Study.” marketingtherainbow.info/case studies/cs travel/american airlines.html.

Valenti, Catherine. “Companies Begin Marketing to Gay Market.” ABC News, ABC News Network, abcnews.go.com/Business/story?id=89595&page=1.