Sat. May 6, 2006
New York City -
Raising awareness of how gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) people are portrayed in mainstream advertising, Commercial Closet Association's Images in Advertising Awards have announced nominations in categories ranging from Outstanding Commercial to Ad Agency of the Year.
Hosted by AOL, the Images in Advertising Awards will be held at One Time Warner Center, at Columbus Circle.
Emmy award-winning comedian Judy Gold will be master of ceremonies. Comedian Kim Cea will lead the auction following the ceremony, followed by a jazz performance by The Marcus Goldhaber Quartet.
"While there are many advertising industry award programs, none focus on sensitivity to a minority," Commercial Closet Association Executive Director Michael Wilke said. "By honoring agencies and advertisers who are creating informed presentations of the GLBT community, we hope to raise the standard for the entire advertising industry."
The Images in Advertising Awards nominees were selected by the Executive Director, narrowed by Commercial Closet Association's executive board of eight, and the winners are to be chosen by the Commercial Closet Association advisory board of 19 judges. Both boards include advertising industry executives and other professionals, including Hollywood writer and comic Bruce Vilanch and Lowe Worldwide president Tony Wright.
Founded by Wilke in 2001, Commercial Closet Association is a sought-after authority on GLBT images in advertising. Along with appearances on CNN, CNBC, and Fox, Wilke lectures around the world with a highly acclaimed presentation on the history of GLBT portrayals in mainstream ads.
Commercial Closet Association is supported by annual grants from the David Bohnett Foundation and Gill Foundation, as well as corporate sponsorships including Absolut, Adweek, American Airlines, AOL, Arbitron/Scarborough Research, Arnold Communications, Bridgestone Tires, Dove, Google, Gotham Inc., IBM, Interpublic Group, Kirshenbaum Bond & Partners, Lowe Worldwide, Mediapost, Merrill Lynch, Orbitz, Shepardson Stern + Kaminsky, Sirius Satellite Radio, Subaru of America, Tylenol PM, VH-1, Wyndham International, Y&R, and individual donations.
Commercial Closet Association Commercial Closet Association (CCA) educates and influences the world of advertising to understand, respect, and include GLBT references in advertising to achieve a more accepting society while achieving successful business results. CCA's Ad Library on its web site, CommercialCloset.org, houses the world's largest archive of GLBT-themed ads, with over 3,000 global examples from 33 countries back to 1917, including ratings and analysis, Best Practices, and other resources.
Commercial Closet Association launched in May 2001 and is lead by a board of advertising-marketing-media experts and founder Michael Wilke, a veteran advertising journalist. He has written for Advertising Age, Brandweek and The New York Times, and has provided news commentary to ABC, BBC, CNN, CNBC, CBS, Fox, NBC and other networks since 1992.
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