Gay Marriage Is Now a Brilliant Marketing Tool For Trendy Tees
Don’t be jealous because Revenge Is, a self-described “eco-activist fashion company” (like Tom’s Shoes), beat you to exploiting same-sex marriage for a few sales. At Los Angeles boutique Kitson last week, (straight-y) actor Hal Sparks “married” Smith & Pyle bandmates Missi Pyle and Shawnee Smith in a faux ceremony hosted by E! personality Giuliana Rancic, which came complete with staged protesters. Aww! Sales of the label’s “All Love Is Equal” tee will benefit Prop 8′s 2010 repealers Love Honor Cherish, explains Revenge Is founder Marilyn Barrett.
But let’s get one thing straight: Revenge Is isn’t the first to turn gay marriage into a marketing and sales opportunity: Marc Jacobs has bee cashing in since the summer.
Don’t forget about Legalize Gay by American Apparel. That’s the first one I know of.
Well, alright … if Palin is a “governor,” then okay, Sparks is an “actor.”
He’s working malls now, huh?
If the profit from tee sales goes to Love Honor Cherish, how is that exploitive? Isn’t it a fund raiser? I read Marilyn Barrett’s article from the huffington post. I think it’s more than a “brilliant” dirty marketing device… I think there’s a genuine desire to help.
The mixing of social causes and marketing is seen all the time. Some brands do it well and some do it to just “make a buck.” The question to consider is whether or not they are being genuine. Do they really support gay marriage? From what I see here it seems that yes, they do. Does it bother me that they created a PR stunt like this? Not really. The more businesses that take a public stand in favor of gay marriage — through stunts, public statements, congressional testimony, etc — the better.
Hey dvlaries – Hal Sparks is a very good actor – didn’t you see Queer as Folk? And he has done a lot for Gay causes in California. I think he is super cool. Your remark about him working in the mall, well it was probably for fun, a good cause or both. He does stand up comedy and has a band. Even if he was paid – what is wrong with honest work?