- Target:
- DFS Trading Limited
- Region:
- United Kingdom
- Website:
- www.unitybangor.com
LGBT people are continually mis- or under-represented in the media. As found in GLAAD's 2008 study (see link 1) only 1.1% of all regular characters in the 2007-08 broadcast television schedule were LGBT.
Advertising (especially in the prime time 'advert breaks') reaches a massive audience (an average of about 9 million viewers) and can help to present a very positive message to those who need/would benefit from it.
IKEA have had lots of adverts featuring LGB&T people, both on TV and in print. Their catalogues also feature gay couples and families. In 2007, IKEA ran an ad campaign titled 'Living Room,' which aired across Europe and America. The ad featured a series of families in different living rooms, ending with a bi-racial gay male couple and their daughter, and the voiceover: 'Why shouldn't sofas come in flavours, just like families?' The ad won an award in America from the Commercial Closet Association, a charity which campaigns for positive LGB recognition in advertising. (Link 2)
DFS adverts famously centre around a 'living area' with a family, couple or person in them (Link 3). None of these have ever featured an LGBT family or couple and could quite easily do so.
The 'Pink Pound' (the LGBT market) is worth an estimated £70 million per year in the UK (Link 4).
Link 1: http://tinyurl.com/ya2mpoo
Link 2: http://www.commercialcloset.org/common/adlibrary/video_large.cfm?AdDetail.video=1004-IKEA-Living%20Room.flv&clientID=11064
Link 3: http://www.dfs.co.uk/tv-advertisements
Link 4: http://www.clearchannel.co.uk/content.aspx?ID=276&ParentID=93&MicrositeID=0&Page=1
We, the undersigned petition DFS Trading Limited to feature an LGBT couple or family in their mainstream advertising in order to accurately represent their audience and clientèle.
We feel that including a small selection of LGBT people in DFS's widespread advertising would be a massively positive step towards equality in the global media at the same time as targeting a previously unrepresented market and potentially increasing sales.
You can further help this campaign by sponsoring it
The Represent LGBT people in mainstream advertising petition to DFS Trading Limited was written by Unity Bangor and is in the category Media Issues at GoPetition.