Orbitz Features Commercial with Gay rights logo

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

I was just watching MSNBC's Lockup prison show and an Orbitz commercial came on.  I'd seen it before, but I noticed something I hadn't before - one of the people has the blue and gold equal sign that the gay rights (Human Rights Campaign) people use.

Here's the commercial: http://vodpod.com/watch/1769325-orbitz-commercial-features-human-rights-campaign-logo

Is this a good idea for them?  I feel like this would only hurt them more than it would help them.

[Sewer]

I feel like this would only hurt them more than it would help them.

It's a commercial on MSNBC.

[Meeker]

I noticed that the other day too and meant to google it to see if there was some sort of explanation from Orbitz/controversy brewing. I suppose there's a chance the actor just put it on himself and no one in production noticed.

[Lunar]

nothing about that commercial was unintentional

[12th Doctor]

I saw the commercial a few weeks back.  Noticed the same thing.

And I don't know about the rest of you, but I can feel my family becoming weaker already, as a result. 

[Mechaman]

I barely noticed that over the flying overcraft.

As for the commercial, so goes Oklahoma.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

I feel like this would only hurt them more than it would help them.

It's a commercial on MSNBC.

But I've seen it before on other stations.  I normally don't watch MSNBC unless it's Dateline or the prison show.

[Holmes]

Aha, cute.

I mean, no gays allowed. They're gonna go bankrupt now obviously.

[Verily]

Something that subtle is probably a positive. I mean, relatively few people who are going to go "OMG teh gheys!" will recognize the symbol; it's not a rainbow or something more widely known in popular culture. But every single gay person out there will get the visual cue.

I tend to agree with Meeker, though. I think the actor put it on himself, and nobody on the set noticed or realized what it meant (which basically reaffirms my first statement that few people who aren't gay or involved in gay rights would get the message).

You will also notice that all three websites linking to the video are gay rights blogs, not anti-gay sites.

[Sbane]

Is this a good idea for them?  I feel like this would only hurt them more than it would help them.

In the short term it could backfire but in the medium to long term it can only help them. We also have to look at their target market. Since it is a website, we can automatically rule out olds (a key demographic in the fight against gay marriage). Also because it is a travel website, poorer and less educated people won't frequent it as much as middle class and wealthy individuals who tend to be more highly educated and more favorable towards gay marriage. Thus their target market would consist of the young to middle aged, middle to upper class and well educated individuals. These demographics are probably already close to supporting gay marriage (certainly if you take out the south), and the trend will continue over time. In addition the ad really isn't that offensive in any way since the symbol is so unrecognizable and thus I don't see a backlash coming.

[Mart]

This may seem off-topic, but does anyone else think that the Orbitz guy in the commercial looks really similar to Keith Olbermann?  So it seems fitting that the subliminal commercial appears on MSNBC.

[King]

Progressive Insurance also did something similar in this ad, but with the rainbow flag:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RM0y6N9GHBs&feature=player_embedded

[Verily]

Progressive is known for being, well, progressive, though. Orbitz is just a mainline company.

[Brittain33]

I thought it was an interesting strategy. Lots of "us" noticed it but I doubt many other people would have recognized the symbol. I can't see a backlash here. I'm intrigued that someone in marketing would decide to take this particular approach. It's so straightforward and it has no plausible deniability at all--the only explanation for it is "we wanted to signal to gay customers in a way that looks like we wanted to only signal to gay customers."

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

I generally assume that the "not gays" are largely ignorant about gay symbology—rainbow stickers, the HRC logo, and all of that.

[MODU]

I've seen that commercial a hundred times, and I've never noticed the logo on his shirt.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Something that subtle is probably a positive. I mean, relatively few people who are going to go "OMG teh gheys!" will recognize the symbol; it's not a rainbow or something more widely known in popular culture. But every single gay person out there will get the visual cue.

I tend to agree with Meeker, though. I think the actor put it on himself, and nobody on the set noticed or realized what it meant (which basically reaffirms my first statement that few people who aren't gay or involved in gay rights would get the message).

You will also notice that all three websites linking to the video are gay rights blogs, not anti-gay sites.

This.......I never knew what the symbol was

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

Something that subtle is probably a positive. I mean, relatively few people who are going to go "OMG teh gheys!" will recognize the symbol; it's not a rainbow or something more widely known in popular culture. But every single gay person out there will get the visual cue.

I tend to agree with Meeker, though. I think the actor put it on himself, and nobody on the set noticed or realized what it meant (which basically reaffirms my first statement that few people who aren't gay or involved in gay rights would get the message).

You will also notice that all three websites linking to the video are gay rights blogs, not anti-gay sites.

This.......I never knew what the symbol was

I wouldn't if several of my friends weren't in the Gay Straight Alliance b/c they had the stickers in their room.

[Associate Justice PiT]

Something that subtle is probably a positive. I mean, relatively few people who are going to go "OMG teh gheys!" will recognize the symbol; it's not a rainbow or something more widely known in popular culture. But every single gay person out there will get the visual cue.

I tend to agree with Meeker, though. I think the actor put it on himself, and nobody on the set noticed or realized what it meant (which basically reaffirms my first statement that few people who aren't gay or involved in gay rights would get the message).

You will also notice that all three websites linking to the video are gay rights blogs, not anti-gay sites.

This.......I never knew what the symbol was

     Yeah, I had never heard of it until I read this topic.

[Lief 🗽]

Bad news, friends. I showed the commercial to my parents and now they're getting a divorce. What do I do?

[12th Doctor]

Something that subtle is probably a positive. I mean, relatively few people who are going to go "OMG teh gheys!"

What country do you live in?

[Lunar]

Bad news, friends. I showed the commercial to my parents and now they're getting a divorce. What do I do?

tell them that that's what the gays want, it's part of their agenda

[Verily]

Something that subtle is probably a positive. I mean, relatively few people who are going to go "OMG teh gheys!"

What country do you live in?

Hmmm? You seem to have missed the point of my post, or else not read the entire sentence.