Human Rights Campaign Commends Mars Inc. for Pulling Ad Campaign Encouraging Anti-Gay Bullying

On February 5th, The Human Rights Campaign, AmericaBlog.com and the Gay &
Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) called on the
makers of Snickers, and its parent company Mars Inc., to pull an online
ad campaign launched during the Super Bowl that depicted violent and
anti-gay behavior by two actors. By the end of the day Monday, the ads
and the additional footage of players from the Colts and the Bears had
been pulled from the company website.

The ad featured two men who accidentally engage in a kiss while sharing
a candy bar and then try to distance themselves from any perception of
being gay by rushing to "do something manly."

"While we are pleased with the initial response from Mars, this is not
the time to spike the ball," said HRC President Joe Solmonese. "This is
the time to establish a dialogue with this company about why images that
encourage bullying, on the playground and beyond, are dangerous."

Added Solmonese, "After speaking with company representatives today, we
hope to continue a dialogue and establish a working relationship with
Mars Inc., as we have with the majority of Fortune 500 companies, about
responsible marketing and fair workplace policies for gay, lesbian,
bisexual and transgender Americans."

Enviroshop is maintained by dedicated NetSys Interactive Inc. owners & employees who generously contribute their time to maintenance & editing, web design, custom programming, & website hosting for Enviroshop.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *