• Reuters, Monday, August 28, 2006 12 PM

Major marketers are coming out of the closet in droves as part of a cultural shift that reveals the acceptance of gay themes in society and the spending power of the gay market. Statistics show that in 1994, only 19 of the Fortune 500 companies advertised their brands in gay media in the U.S. Last year, that number increased to 175, according to Todd Evans of Rivendell Media, which places ads in gay U.S. newspapers and magazines. Advertisers participating in the trend include John Hancock, which ran an ad for insurance featuring a lesbian couple, and mint marketer Altoids, which advertised two flavors by asking readers if they were "bi-curious." "Most big agencies have looked at it," says Gordon MacMillan, editor of London's ad industry Internet newsletter Brand Republic. "One, they are targeting the gay market. And two, they are targeting the straight market as well, who perceive the gay market as having a certain style or cachet." Advertisers have also discovered that gay-friendliness is cool, says Michael Wilke, who tracks gay-themed advertising on Web site the Commercial Closet. "They are looking to have a hip image, to say we are part of pop culture, and pop culture is increasingly inclusive of gays and lesbians."

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