Dot Gays

New York City-based LGBT marketing executive Scott Seitz is spearheading a group working to win the right to administer the proposed top-level internet domain (dot)gay. What's most interesting about this effort is that Seitz' group has pledged to donate two-thirds of the potentially considerable .gay domain registration profit back to the LGBT community. That promise has earned Seitz the endorsements of major national LGBT rights groups. From an interview with Press Pass Q's Chuck Colbert:

The dot-gay initiative, Seitz explained during a telephone interview, is all about community building and networking, with two-thirds (67 percent) of the profits from the sale of dot-gay domains going back to the community via a nonprofit foundation. Seitz realizes that buy-in from the community, including LGBT media, is key to dot-gay's success. To that end, he is working closely with the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce and others to ensure wide stakeholder support among LGBT businesses and organizations. Additionally, he is creating town hall meetings at community centers across the country. Already, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, Human Rights Campaign, National Center for Lesbian Rights and International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association, among others, have endorsed the dot-gay initiative. At least six LGBT publications are also onboard. Management from the Northampton, Mass.-based Rainbow Times and Echelon Magazine, serving the LGBT business community, have sent letters of support to ICANN urging approval of the dot-gay gTLD.

DotGay's website explains how it would all work.

If approved, .gay would exist as a so-called “Top-Level Domain” (TLD), the most well-known example of which is .com, and individuals, businesses and organizations would be able to register domain names ending in .gay. In addition to .gay, the governing body of Internet domain space, ICANN, is considering TLD proposals for .eco, .berlin, .sports, .shop and more. TLD applicants must demonstrate to ICANN broadly based support from the targeted community. Once ICANN determines there is a viable “market” for a new TLD, it evaluates applicants seeking to operate the TLD. To prevail in the selection process, an applicant must establish its bona fides and present a credible plan for developing and marketing the newly created domain space.

Seitz predicts that anti-gay governments such as the Vatican will petition ICANN to deny applications to create the .gay domain. Religious and conservative groups have voiced similar opposition to the creation of a .XXX domain.

Wasted Street Marketing Of The Day

Barked at our Key West foursome on Duval Street: "Gentlemen! Hot naked ladies! And alcohol! Right up these stairs!" Father Tony: "Well, one out of two...."

Lady Gaga's Meat Book

Copyranter notes that Lady Gaga's biography is being promoted in Australia's meat cases. OK, then.

FTC Rules Pom Wonderful As Deceptive

Continuing their campaign against food items falsely claiming to bring good health, the Federal Trade Commission has filed a complaint against the makers of Pom Wonderful for "making false and unsubstantiated claims that their products will prevent or treat heart disease, prostate cancer, and erectile dysfunction."

The FTC complaint alleges that POM Wonderful’s heart disease claims are false and unsubstantiated because many of the scientific studies conducted by POM Wonderful did not show heart disease benefit from use of its products. It alleges that the prostate cancer claims are false and unsubstantiated because, among other reasons, the study POM Wonderful relied on was neither “blinded” nor controlled. Finally, it alleges that the erectile dysfunction claims are false and unsubstantiated because the study on which the company relied did not show that POM Juice was any more effective than a placebo.

VitaminWater got the same treatment earlier this month.

Mormon Church Launches Post-Prop 8 Image Makeover Campaign

The Sneaky Ting Tings

If you'd like to hear Hands, the new single by popular dance duo the Ting Tings, you must first "like" them on Facebook, which of course tells your friends that you "like" them. And if you want to hear the remix of Hands (and what fan wouldn't?) you must unlock the mix by sharing it to your page. Clever, clever. Never seen this before.

Mormon Make-Over

The new PR campaign from the Mormon Church is, of course, intended to sow friendliness for Mitt Romney's 2012 presidential campaign.

Pop-Tarts In Times Square

Pop-Tarts has joined M&Ms and Hersheys with its own storefront in Times Square, where brand marketing is more important than actual sales.

The focal point of the store, which opens Tuesday, is the cafe. It will serve about 30 snacks and desserts. The menu includes the Fluffer Butter, marshmallow spread sandwiched between two Pop-Tarts frosted fudge pastries; the Sticky Cinna Munchies, cinnamon rolls topped with cream-cheese icing and chunks of Pop-Tarts cinnamon-roll variety; and Ants on a Log?, which is celery, peanut butter and chunks of the Wild Grape version. And then there’s the Pop-Tarts Sushi, three kinds of Pop-Tarts minced and then wrapped in a fruit roll-up. “We did an internal tasting here at the building, and it was the winner,” said Etienne Patout, senior director at the Pop-Tarts brand, part of the Kellogg Company. Visitors can also build their own Pop-Tarts, starting with a basic pastry and asking servers to add frosting, toppings (coconut, sprinkles) and drizzle (caramel, raspberry). They can take their pastries frozen, toasted, microwaved or uncooked, but there will be no self-serve.

The store will feature a six-story billboard above the entrance. Times Square billboards often rent for more than the actual stores beneath them.

Village People Want To Know Y

"We are deeply dismayed by today's announcement from the YMCA that they feel a name change and a rebranding are in order after 166 years. Some things remain iconic and while we admire the organization for the work they do, we still can't help but wonder Y." - Village People, responding the YMCA changing their name to "The Y."

UNRELATED PET PEEVE: The group's name is Village People. Not THE Village People. I have the same nomenclature issue with folks who insist on writing THE Pet Shop Boys. See also: Scissor Sisters.

Christian Group Lashes Out At McDonald's Over Gay Ad In France

Ten days ago I showed you a gay-positive McDonald's ad from France. Since then the clip has gotten over 1M views on YouTube and has been featured in the mainstream media. And right on cue, American wingnuts are screaming.

"We see McDonald's decision to backhand hundreds of millions of traditional family values people," Bill Johnson, President of the American Decency Association, told LifeSiteNews, "and align themselves with promoting the godless behavior of a few." This is not McDonald's first homosexualist activism. In 2008, McDonalds paid $20,000 dollars to become an official "organizational ally and corporate partner" of the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC). In the same year, McDonald's also helped sponsor the San Francisco Gay Pride Parade; Richard Ellis, vice president of communications for McDonald's USA, was also appointed to the board of directors of the NGLCC.

Yet because of a boycott started by the American Family Association on July 3rd of that year, Richard Ellis left the board of the NGLCC and McDonald's said that it did not plan to renew its membership with the NGLCC. Bill Johnson called the new television spot "one of the most bewildering kinds of advertisements when you consider the fact that so many Americans across this country have done business with McDonald's."

The American Decency Association is suggesting a phone campaign of complaints to McDonald's U.S. headquarters. Go here if you'd like to offer praise instead.

Tube Socks: $7

Via Queerty, who notes: "Now this is how you sell socks to men." More images from the campaign are here.

Miller Lite Ads: You Are A Cross-Dressing Sissy If You Don't Drink Our Brand

Queers United points us to the below ads from Miller Lite which mock men as skirt-wearing, purse-carrying sissies if they don't "man up" and drink their brand. Transphobia? Homophobia? Funny? Queers United suggests contacting the company to express your displeasure.

Afternoon View - Target Marketing

Elective Rectal Cleansing

Portfolio points us to a new Fleet disposable douche campaign targeted at gay men. Fleet's new product is for "elective rectal cleansing."

“We’ve always known that some of our consumers were using Fleet enemas for reasons other than to relieve constipation, so we wanted to develop a product that would meet the needs of those users and provide them with a safe way to cleanse and frequently if desired,” [Fleet brand manager Emily] Klopp said. Fleet sells about $30 million in enemas annually and dominates the market, Klopp said. It’s unclear the exact size of the market because Wal-Mart and other stores sell private-label brands and do not disclose their sales. The new version hits shelves at CVS drug stores and Target this month, followed by Walgreens next month and Rite-Aid in June. Wal-Mart is the only major retailer so far to balk at carrying it, Klopp said.

The company commissioned polling firm Harris Interactive last year to research the market potential and found that 3.7 percent of the general population had used an enema to “electively rectally cleanse” in the prior year. A study focusing specifically on gay and bisexual men found 21 percent of them had done so. Yet Harris found the two populations do so for different reasons: 80 percent of the general population said they used an enema for “health and well-being” while 87 percent of gay and bisexual men said they did so as a precursor to “anal intimacy.” About 38 percent of the general population said they used enemas for “anal intimacy”; respondents were permitted to select more than one answer.

Fleet Naturals contains no laxative and the tip has a condom-safe lubricant, so clearly they've done their homework. Hit the link for more info and for other images from the campaign. And we should definitely send a case to New Hampshire Rep. Nancy "Wriggling In Excrement" Elliot.